1 – What is your favourite animal?
As a child, it was a male Peacock, those birds are simply stunning in looks. At 3 years
old, I rode on the back of one and loved them ever since.
As an adult it has to be the Rottweiler, they get bad press but you will never meet a more
funnier, expressional animal, who spends everyday amusing me. They are also loyal to
the core and would give up their life to protect their family.

2 – What club are you a member of?
Bangor & District Archery Club

3 – What is your preferred shooting style?
Barebow, I just love the simplicity of instinctive shooting.

4 – How did you get into archery?
During lockdown George bought a boss for the garden and him, myself and Skye used
the time at home together making the most of quality time together and great memories
having fun. Skye was the one who wanted to try archery and now I think I enjoy it more
than she does.

5 – Who is your favourite fictional archer?
Bard the Bowman, from JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit, this was my favourite book as a child.

6 – What is your favourite competition type?
Has to be field shoots. Don’t mind if target or 3D. Love it and I have learnt so much from
the experience, not to mention meeting so many like minded people who I enjoy
spending time with.

7 – Would you rather do archery whilst riding a unicorn or a pegasus?
Pegasus, look up the myth about Pegasus and Bellerophontes. It is such a beautiful
Greek mythology story.

8 – What is the oddest thing you have seen during a competition?
Me trying to climb over a fallen tree that was almost taller than me (the drunk lying
down). John Gibson had to get guys out the next day to cut it up and remove it. Don’t
think any of us laughed so much in a long time. At one point I think John was about to
heave me over it until he caught himself on . We all still laugh about this.

9 – What is the best shot you have made in a competition?
Every shot that hits the target, no one likes going home without their arrows.

10 – Which fictious archers would you want on your side for a team match?
Bard the Bowman, Legolas, Robin Hood, Neytiri.

11 – What are your goals in archery?
To keep enjoying archery and try to get out for as long as I can at the field shoots. I suffer
with spinal problems and intend to keep pushing myself on to attend the events for as
long as it is physically possible.
To keep enjoy the sport and to try to encourage others to come into the sport. Some of
our members including myself attended festivals and galas over the summer to let
people have a go to promote the sport throughout the wider community.

12 – What is your proudest achievement in the sport?
Attending my first field shoot I wasn’t sure it I was going to be able to complete the
course. It was a case of feel the pain and do it anyway. Getting to the end or the course
made me feel very proud of myself for achieving this. Before I started getting the nerves
burnt in my spine to help reduce pain levels. I could not have done this. The nerve
blocker’s and a positive mental attitude keeps me going.

13 – What is the best advice you have been given in archery?
It isn’t a one glove fits all sport. If someone is struggling with something due to spinal
problems, there is always other things you can try to make things more comfortable that
works for you. Such as foot positioning and point of reference on the face. It took me a
long time to be able to stand and fully rotate my body to shoot.

14 – How do you think you would have fared in the stone age with a bow and arrows?
I shoot barebow and instinctive, plus I am a mum with protective instincts so I don’t
think I would have went hungry.

15 – What is the one thing you really enjoy in the sport?
The sense of community from everyone who is apart of archery.

16 – What one thing in the sport irritates you the most?
People who don’t do much to help the development of their clubs but are the first to way
in with criticism.

17 – What would you like to see in terms of improvement within archery as a sport?
Better support and funding directions from leading bodies.

18 – What do you think would make a great mascot for the sport of archery?
Lord of the Rings Elvin archers.

19 – Who is your most fervent supporter?
A. My partner and my daughter as archery is a sport that we all love as a family.

20 – If you could shoot another bow style, what would it be?
Trad

21 – What is your favourite shooting venue?
Clandeboye as it isn’t too challenging and is a comfortable course for me to get around.

22 – What would make a great 3D target?
Buffalo or Bison.

23 – What would get more people into archery?
Better promotion from Ards and North Down. Financial support to run open events. A
higher public profile to bring the sport more into mainstream.

This article is part of our free content space, where everyone can find something interesting for themselves. If you like what you read and want to support us, please consider purchasing an online membership.