1 – What is your favourite animal?
T-rex (dead). Orangutan (alive and wild). Dog (alive and domesticated). Dragon (mythical).

2 – What club are you a member of?
Lough Cuan Bowmen, Newtownards.

3 – What is your preferred shooting style?
Barebow and gap shooting.

4 – How did you get into archery?
I’ve only been shooting since April 2023 but have been interested in archery for a number of
years and have been working at an activity centre since 2022. Archery is one of the activities
I was interested in doing / delivering. So, I attended a beginners course at LCB in April 2023,
and have since become an Instructor (Oct 2023) and Level 1 Session Coach (May 2024).

5 – Who is your favourite fictional archer?
Merida from Brave. Playful, adventurous, courageous and defiant.

6 – What is your favourite competition type?
Currently, indoor target but outside is calling…

7 – Would you rather do archery whilst riding a unicorn or a pegasus?
I’ve never had good relations with equines, no matter how cool they are. So, neither. But I’d
like to try shooting from my paddleboard!

8 – What is the oddest thing you have seen during a competition?
Judges singing and dancing to music… there’s some things you can’t unsee / unhear.

9 – What is the best shot you have made in a competition?
Indoor, maybe 27 out of 30. I can only get better and my PBs are still going up with practice!
Ask me again in 12 months.

10 – Which fictitious archers would you want on your side for a team match?
I’d like Apollo (God of archery), and his twin, Artemis (Goddess of the hunt) on my team.

11 – What are your goals in archery?
To keep improving my shot process and groupings. Up the poundage of my bow and to keep
on at the competitions (indoor / outdoor / 3D). As a coach, I want to help others improve their
shooting too and retain archers within the sport long-term and in alignment with their goals,
be that social, personal or other.

12 – What is your proudest achievement in the sport?
So far, achieving a bronze medal (barebow women seniors) at the Archery NI Open
Championships (16th Nov 2024). I’m looking forward to next year already!

13 – What is the best advice you have been given in archery?
Warm up. Stance. Posture. Form. Shot process. Repetition and consistency. If the shot
doesn’t feel right, come down and start the shot again. Get up, show up and never give up.

14 – How do you think you would have fared in the stone age with a bow and arrows?
Oh, I would have died for sure. Most likely, I’d have taken too long to shoot the bow and got
trampled to death or eaten by a t-rex (who’s arms are too short to shoot a bow and get the
draw back to its anchor point, never mind aiming by looking down the shaft of the arrow). In
addition, knowing my curious and experimental nature, I’d probably have spiked my nose
with it or backfired…

15 – What is the one thing you really enjoy in the sport?
I like how the sport is accessible to anyone and the number of clubs available in Northern
Ireland. I’m still learning about how the whole thing works and winging it as I go along but,
thus far, everyone I’ve met in archery circles has been friendly and encouraging which helps
me fit in, allows me to ask questions, learn and grow.

16 – What one thing in the sport irritates you the most?
Politics! Enough said.

17 – What would you like to see in terms of improvement within archery as a sport?
An adult coaching pathway and subsidies / grants similar to the National Talent Development
Program for the juniors / paras. This can be centralised for adults from different clubs to take
up the challenge of developing themselves to maybe represent their club / country at
different competitions.

18 – What do you think would make a great mascot for the sport of archery?
Apollo, God of Archery.

19 – Who is your most fervent supporter?
Myself. Then my mum. She likes to hear how I’ve done when I come home from a day’s
shooting with a smile on my face. And every other archer I know are also supporters.

20 – If you could shoot another bow style, what would it be?
I’ll be building up to recurve over the next couple of years which just add a sight and
stabiliser, it’s the next most accessible option for me. Maybe compound further down the
line, if I win the lottery…

21 – What is your favourite shooting venue?
I’ve not been to many shooting venues, but I like the Jim Baker Stadium for indoor shoots
because it can accommodate so many archers and bow categories. Downside, it’s an hour’s
drive but it’s a good venue!

22 – What would make a great 3D target?
A transparent and animated full sized Predator would be fantastic. OR a 3D foam rock face
with the scoring zones painted on. That could test an archer’s commitment to shoot.

23 – What would get more people into archery?
Advertise have-a-go days or beginner courses regularly. Archery for Everyone run 6 week
courses and have introduced many people, aged 5 and upwards, to archery. There’s
afterschool clubs, archery as part of PE, and other option available. More of this is needed.
Lower the barriers to entry. Membership fees and kit are expensive. I’ve been very lucky and
appreciative of borrowing club kit for competitions / practice. People join clubs for very
different reasons: social, fitness, wellbeing, practice, competition, etc. After membership
costs, acquiring kit can be very costly and money for most people is not easy to come by. I
don’t know if there’s a family rate for adults / children, or a couples rate, but it might be worth
looking into various membership / club fee price ranges.
On club nights, we sign in and pay £3.00 to shoot 7.00-9.00pm. It’s not much but what about
thinking of an attendance loyalty scheme? Attend 9 evenings in a row, get 10 for supporting
the club? That might well encourage weekly attendance and say thanks to members.

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