Braggin

My biggest achievement has been competing internationally in my sport. Archery may not be prevalent in most Americans’ lives, but it is in mine.

This August, I had the opportunity to compete at the World Archery Field Championships (WAFC) in Zagreb, Croatia. This was no small feat; I had to compete in the National Championships and place well enough to qualify for Worlds and also raise the funds for the trip.

The national qualifier was an excellent preparation. Imitating the types of set up we could be shooting in Worlds, we shot at all sorts of angles and various lighting conditions. The WAFC was a new experience for me, and I had very little idea of what I was going into, but I was used to that by then.

I was unprepared for even the national competition. I had signed up with the mentality that I wouldn’t make the cut for Worlds, and so I decided to just enjoy shooting. As fate would have it, my relaxation allowed me to focus and shoot well.

I shot well at Worlds, and almost made it to the elimination brackets. The experience was great and I had an amazing time. I would certainly do it again if I had the chance.