Wounded Israeli Veteran David Maskhayev Sets Sights on 2028 Paralympics in Archery
Wounded combat veteran David Maskhayev discovered archery during his rehabilitation at Tel Hashomer hospital, transforming his recovery into a journey toward the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
David Maskhayev never imagined his life would take this turn. As a combat photographer attached to a combat engineering unit, he was counting down the days until the summer of 2024, dreaming of a backpacking trip to Japan. Everything changed on October 7, when Hamas launched its devastating terror attack, plunging Israel into the ongoing war in Gaza.
During maneuvering in December 2023, Maskhayev was severely wounded alongside four comrades in an incident that claimed the life of staff sergeant Oria Yaakov. He spent three weeks in a medically induced coma at Tel Hashomer hospital. His right leg was amputated below the knee. Yet, amidst the arduous rehabilitation, a chance encounter in March 2024 redirected his future toward elite athletic competition.
Finding Purpose Through Archery
While navigating the hospital grounds in a wheelchair, Maskhayev spotted people shooting at targets. Intrigued, he approached and discovered it was archery. "From the moment I held the bow and released the first arrow, it felt so natural," he recalls. That natural talent propelled him into the "Gold of Warriors" national team, a dedicated squad of wounded combat veterans training under the auspices of the Paralympic Committee, the Disabled Sports Association, and the prominent Israeli investment house Altshuler Shaham, with their sights firmly set on the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Maskhayev's rehabilitation was marked by grueling physical adjustments. Learning to walk again with a prosthetic limb required immense perseverance. "Walking again was amazing," he says. "It was the most important thing to me." Today, standing at his natural height of 1.92 meters, he trains five times a week, pushing his physical boundaries. The draw weight of his competition bow can exceed 20 kilograms, demanding rigorous conditioning akin to heavy weightlifting.
Looking Forward to International Competition
Beyond the physical training, archery provided Maskhayev with a profound sense of meaning and normalcy. "It gave me a safe place to be who I am and forget the injury for a moment," he reflects. While he acknowledges the lingering phantom pain and the daily adjustments of prosthetic life—such as adapting his piano playing to press the pedal with his left foot—he refuses to be viewed with pity. "At some point, you get tired of people looking at you as if you're miserable."
Now, bolstered by intense professional training at the Wingate Institute and a rigorous daily schedule, Maskhayev is preparing for his first international competition in Cyprus at the end of the month. Fully embracing his new identity as an elite athlete, he embodies the resilience of a generation determined to move forward while honoring the memory of those fallen in the ongoing war.
