1 week Ago By [email protected] (Craig Tucker)
Great Britain archer Mia McGuane owes her start in the sport to a family holiday in Great Yarmouth. McGuane was still at primary school when she discovered ‘have-a-go’ archery at a Haven Holidays park. She immediately took to it and when she beat an older boy in a final shoot-off, the seed was sown.
The youngster would go on to select The Sittingbourne School - formerly SCC - as her first-choice secondary, a decision influenced by their after-school archery club. She learned her craft there and, seven years into the sport, has represented GB four times in European and World Championships in youth age categories. McGuane, now 18, gained her first international medal with silver at the World Indoor European Championships in Croatia in February.
And she ranks her finest achievement to date as her under-21 silver medal at the Swiss Open Indoor World Series last month. Next year, she hopes to compete at the World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada. And to think McGuane only gave the sport a try when she was on holiday as a child.
“It was at Haven in Great Yarmouth,” she said. “I won and I was like, ‘I’m really good at this’. “I’d never heard of archery before that.
“When I was looking at secondary schools, I saw The Sittingbourne School did archery as an after-school club and I’ve now been doing it for about seven years.” McGuane was invited to a GB assessment day as she progressed in the sport and was picked for the National Training Development Programme. After one session she was selected for the development squad, which is just one step below the national squad.
She said: “I was on that for about two years and then I went to my first international competition, in Switzerland, last year. “I was very nervous. It was something I’d never experienced before.
It was very hot as well. “I came fifth and shot two new PBs, which was very strange because not a lot of people do that when they go to international trips. I was very proud of myself.
” McGuane, who’s now finished school, balances full-time work with training four times a week. She’s still able to train in the school hall. So, what makes a good archer? “It’s different for every person,” said McGuane.
“But I found what works for me is making sure I understand everything I’m being told to do and, if I’m not quite sure, don’t be afraid to ask questions. “It takes dedication and a lot of patience and training, developing from the basics and learning different skills. “Having a support network around you to tell you what you need to improve and what you’re doing well is important, too.
” McGuane added to her roll of honour with a pair of gold medals representing England at the Senior National Indoor Championships at the start of December. Next year’s Worlds in Canada are a major target. “That’s a big one for me as I’m now in the under-21 category, which is very competitive,” she said.
“I’m striving for that and from there, I want to keep progressing my scores and hopefully become part of the senior squad and go to international competitions for seniors.” The World Championships are the pinnacle in McGuane’s compound archery discipline, as the Olympic Games use recurve bows. “Compound isn’t in the Olympics, unfortunately, but I can still go to the Worlds which, to me, is just as big as the Olympics,” she said.
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