Bahattin Hekimoğlu

Lore & Background

Hekimoğlu was born in the Şişli district of Istanbul on 12 January 1989. After finishing high school in 2006, he planned to enroll at Sakarya University. During summer vacation that year, he went swimming with friends at Heybeliada, Istanbul. Jumping headfirst from a pier, he hit the seabed, broke his neck, drowned, and his heart stopped. Rescued by a physician and rushed to hospital, he learned after surgery for spinal cord injury that he was paralyzed. He did not leave his home for two years. In 2008, his life changed when he received a motorized wheelchair from the Turkey Spinal Cord Paralytics Association (TOFD). In 2013, he joined the project 'Disabled Designers – The Swallow Project', receiving vocational training in graphic design, and after twelve months was employed by TOFD.

In 2016, Hekimoğlu decided to get involved in sport. He exercised for three months with pulleys for physical strength. By December of that year, he joined the Okçular Vakfı Spor Kulübü (Archers Foundation Sports Club) and obtained his license. He became champion in the Turkish Outdoor Para Archery Championship. Competing in the W1 class of the recurve division, he won the gold medal at the 2018 European Para Archery Championships in Plzeň, Czech Republic. He took the gold medal in the Individual W1 event at the 2019 World Para Archery Championship in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. At the 2021 Fazza Para Archery World Ranking Tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, he captured two gold medals: one in Individual W1 and one in the mixed team event with teammate Fatma Danabaş.

Reader's Guide

Bahattin Hekimoğlu's significance lies in his rapid ascent in para-archery after a life-altering spinal cord injury. His story begins with a swimming accident in 2006 that left him paralyzed, followed by two years of isolation. A motorized wheelchair from the Turkey Spinal Cord Paralytics Association in 2008 marked a turning point. He later gained vocational training in graphic design through the Disabled Designers project and was employed by the same association. His sports career began only in 2016, yet within two years he became European champion, and the following year world champion in the Individual W1 recurve event. His legacy includes gold medals at the 2018 European Para Archery Championships, the 2019 World Para Archery Championship, and a double gold at the 2021 Fazza World Ranking Tournament in Dubai, including a mixed team victory with Fatma Danabaş. Hekimoğlu represents the W1 wheelchair class in recurve archery, demonstrating that elite performance can emerge from a late start and severe physical challenge. His achievements underscore the role of adaptive sports organizations and personal determination in para-sport.