Hi everyone,

My name is Aoibhinn Cowley and I only started archery in the 2nd half of last year and to date have only shot four outdoor competitions and two rounds of the International Mail match. I shoot a traditional recurve which is dark grey and black in colour as I am a big Wednesday Addams fan. I really like shooting arrows and went to my first shoot at Dunbrody Archers with my best friend Vida (who has since emigrated to New Zealand) and I was delighted to have her walking around the course with me, especially as I knew she would be soon leaving Ireland. I met and shot with Maria Malek at this shoot and us three girls had a great laugh and chat around the course and I really really enjoyed the day. Maria is lovely and we have lots of similar interests. I hope to shoot with and see her often at shoots. Anyway I shot okay and won my first medal at this shoot and I was thrilled. Before we left, the next shoot was announced for Galtee Archers the following weekend and the first thing I said (declared) to my guardian Andrew was “WE ARE GOING!” He brought me the following week and this was a different woods and although I was shooting with two adults and an older boy, I improved my score and won another medal. I LIKE WINNING MEDALS! My third shoot was at Aos Dana not far from where we live and again I saw an improvement in my form and my scoring there even though I was felling a bit unwell. And a third medal coming home afterwards… I shot two rounds of the IMM so far in my club and it is so different shooting indoors but I was happy with my shooting, I got my first X in round two right in the very centre, and although my total score was a little down on round one, I hope to do even better in the final round.

Since my first ever shoot, my best pal Vida has moved away which is sad but archery is a bit of a distraction and I will always remember that she was with me at my first competition. I look forward to meeting more people through archery and hope Dunbrody Archers who I am now a member of will gain some new members my age in the near future. I love shooting with Maria and we have good fun, just a pity she lives in Laois but it is nice to know she will be at a shoot. I agreed to go onto the TIFAM Youth especially as Maria is involved in it and I will have to get to know the others in the team. I have met Aislinn and Olivia. I hope to add many more stories to the youth section going forward. A little about me, I am 10, I have a big interest in art and I like to swim which I have recently learned and am currently at level 10. I love music, Olivia Rodrigo is my favourite singer at the moment and my favourite song is Vampire. I love animals and we have two dogs and a cat, one of these dogs is Vida’s dog Bailey, a Springer Spanial which is due to be shipped out to her in Aukland sometime soon. I will be sad to see Bailey go. My other dog is Holly, a Border Collie/ Springer cross aged 15 and I love to cuddle her. I love taking photos and making stop motion films or actual film clips. My dream is to be an actress or a movie director. I am a huge fan of Margo Robbie and Jenna Ortega. I hope to meet them sometime. I go to school in New Ross and live in the countryside.

Thanks for reading. Aoibhinn.