MONROE, Wash. — Archery is one of the oldest sports known to man. In fact, it was first featured in the Olympic games in Paris in 1900. And as Mimi and I found out, it's hard!
When we arrived to Sky Valley Archery in Monroe, to train with award-winning head coach Mike Wichser, I thought we would grab a spare bow lying around and fling a few arrows. But Mike gave us the full Olympic treatment!
We had pouches, belts, wrist and chest protectors and a 62" bow. The bow was much larger than Mimi and I expected. And the aiming gear is elaborate.
sUnlike most sports, in Archery, the equipment is very important, as you can imagine.
Along with coach Wichser, Emma Kim and Gabe Anderson helped us train. They fire 400-500 arrows a day when they train. (And that's saying a lot, when you consider that it takes up to 50 lbs of force to operate a heavy bow.)
Both, have been working with coach Wichser for 10 years, and are now among the top archers in the country. Emma became the alternate for Team USA in the Paris Olympic Games. She missed out on a spot by just one arrow!
Mimi and I started our training on targets that were much closer than competitive competition. Each target is 122 cm (48 inches) in diameter.
Mimi was the first to try. And she put all five arrows into the target, with one bullseye! She immediately commented on the concentration and dexterity it takes to aim accurately.
I felt the same way when it was my turn to try. You can pull the bow back to fire. But holding steady and calm, with that kind of pressure is difficult. Wichser helped with my release, which is important.
When you release the arrow, you want your hand to essentially slip off the bow before you launch the arrow. And your hand should continue pull backwards, even after the arrow is gone.
It's kind of like finishing your backswing in golf (which I play a lot more than archery.)
I also found out how important those wrist guards can be! I misfired one arrow, and the bowstring scraped my skin. I immediately formed a welt. Ouch!
Then came the near-impossible task of hitting the target at Olympic distance. Olympians must hit the target at 70m (230 feet) away! From that far back, the target looks awfully small, and you have to compensate for wind and distance.
Of course, Gabe and Emma both hit a bullseye in the demonstration to us.
Out of 5 arrows, Mimi was close but didn't quite hit the target. I took 5 arrows, but I finally hit the target!
The sensation of releasing an arrow from that far away, watching it fly through the air and thump into the target, was incredibly satisfying. I can see why this sport is so popular around the world.