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Welcome to a new series where I interview autistic archers about our experiences within archery. The goal here is to better inform people of our condition and needs within the sport. Furthermore, there will find plenty for those of us with autism to relate to I am sure, and perhaps even a means to express a trait we couldn’t before once it has been seen in writing.
And finally, I would like to thank Jessica for taking the time to do this, and for doing it so promptly!
1 – What is your favourite animal?
My favourite animals are cats, so much so I volunteer 3 hours a week at an animal refuge and work in the cattery, as well as having my own rescue cat.
2 – What club are you a member of?
Eagle Bowmen
3 – What is your preferred shooting style?
A compound bow.
4 – How did you get into archery?
I got my first experience in archery at the Calvert Trust, which is a charity that supports disabled people and gives them an opportunity to try different physical activities. We spent a whole weekend doing many different activities from horse riding to star gazing, as well as climbing and lots more, however our morning of archery was brilliant and I was hooked.
5 – How does autism effect you within the sport of archery?
Events can be very stressful especially when they are new venues, my mother puts in a lot of time to plan for these situations, from visiting the venues beforehand where possible or googling pictures of the venue. If we have to travel a distance, and we are going for the first time, we often go a couple of days before so I can get used to the room I will be sleeping in as well as visiting the venue.
6 – Who is your favourite fictional archer?
Merida from the film Brave.
7 – What is your favourite competition type?
Field archery.
8 – Would you rather do archery whilst riding a unicorn, a Pegasus, a griffin, or a dragon?
That would be a dragon.
9 – What is the best shot you have made in a competition?
10, 10, 9.
10 – What support do you, or can you receive as an archer with autism?
Everybody in the archery community who knows me gives me support, they understand that I need time out and sometimes I need down time to recover when I get stressed.
I find the archers are a kind group of people, who are always willing to give me support. The best support I get is when people understand my situation and don’t try to overwhelm me with too many things at once.
11 – Which fictious archers would you want on your side for a team match?
My dream team would be Legolas from Lord of the Rings and Merida from Brave.
12 – What are your goals in archery?
To keep improving on my previous score.
13 – What is your proudest achievement in the sport?
Competing in a disabled competition at Lilleshall national sports centre in 2024 and coming 5th place on my first attempt at a major competition.
14 – What is the best advice you have been given in archery?
There are two things that have helped me greatly, not only do I use them for archery but I now use them in my everyday life.
15 – What can the archery community, ie, the clubs and governing bodies, do more of to support archers with autism?
Firstly accept us as we are, whenever possible just treat us like everybody else.
I compete against neurotypical archers in competitions, and I do not use autism as an excuse to get ahead. However, when in training please be aware that many autistic people like myself suffer with a speech and language disorder (which is one of the first indicators that a child has autism) so when someone is explaining how to do something, for me it’s like someone speaking to me in a 2nd language. For example when you learnt a language at school you would convert what was said to you back into your own language, I do this whenever anyone explains something new to me.
16 – How do you think you would have fared in the stone age with a bow and arrows?
I think I would be ok.
17 – What is the one thing you really enjoy in the sport?
Being outside, and meeting all the people I have got to know.
18 – What one thing in the sport irritates you the most?
When people overcompensate for my condition.
19 – What would you like to see in terms of improvement within archery as a sport?
At the moment finding suitable venues can be extremely difficult, places like school sports halls and local sports centres which are an ideal place to practice are very expensive. Even local village halls can be expensive to hire. For people like myself who live in a county with a sparse population you have to be able to travel a distance to access clubs. I am very fortunate, when I said that I wanted to take up archery my parents decided that we would do it as a family.
At the moment there are youth zones that offer archery, however what has helped me the most, not only as an archer but as someone who finds interacting with others very difficult I have been able to practise and compete alongside older and more experienced archers who have shared not only how to improve my shooting but have given me tips on how to cope with competitions.
20 – What do you think would make a great mascot for the sport of archery?
A deer or a black cat.
21 – Who is your most fervent supporter?
My mother and my friends.
22 – What would get more people into archery?
Better exposure on television, Tiktok, Youtube, and as a school sport.
24 – What lesser-known competition types should be a more popular/frequent event?
Flint archery which is indoor field archery and the only club doing this in Cumbria at the moment is Keswick Archers.
25 – What positives traits do you believe having autism gives you?
Because I am hypersensitive I can feel the bow much more intensely than other archers.
