The popularity of archery is increasing in Canada partly because movies like The Hunger Games, Brave and The Avengers feature heroes using bows and arrows.
Youth try to mimic heroes
“I would normally see… older individuals, maybe individuals who are interested in hunting or looking for deer during the fall,” says Vanessa Lee, an instructor and archer on the Canadian senior national team. “But right now we are definitely seeing a boom in younger archers as well. They’re typically aged ten to 15 and just trying to mimic the characters that they see in the movies. It’s really great to see.”
ListenArchery is a timeless sport, says Lee, noting that humans have used bows and arrows throughout their existence. She adds it is a sport that almost anyone can practice.
Not enough coaches, facilities
There are not enough coaches to meet the demand in Canada right now, says Lee. Nor are there enough indoor venues for winter when it is too cold to practice outdoors.
Archery is an amateur sport driven by volunteers and not one that attracts much funding. However, Lee notes it is included in a project to encourage amateur athletes run by CIBC, a large Canadian bank.
Amateur athletes encouraged
As one of the 67 chosen athletes, Lee will receive $5,000 for each of three years and be mentored by one of eight elite athletes. “We had our first athletes’ forum. It was just an amazing experience being in a room with 67 other talented, excited athletes along with these eight mentors who are really going to help us along our athletic journeys.”
The program is designed to help the athletes prepare for the Pan-Am Games to be held in Toronto in 2015 and the Olympics in Brazil in 2016.
Role models are powerful motivators
Lee became interested in archery while on a visit to friends and family in South Korea in 2004. There was a typhoon so she stayed indoors and watched Korean archer Park Sung-Hyun win Olympic gold. “It wasn’t her athletic ability but it was really her composure and confidence, just the way she was under pressure that really inspired me and I wanted to start archery because of her.”
Lee’s short term goal is to become a very strong competitive international archer. She would like to do well at the Pan Am Games and eventually go on to compete in the Brazil Olympics. She hopes archery continues to gain popularity in Canada.
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