With the Archery outdoor competitions and calendar underway, the Trust are delighted to have received a number of communications from grant recipients about their indoor season and early outdoor season success:
Carloine Malcolmson, who received a grant for new equipment in 2023 updated us with the news that she had been very successful during the indoor season, winning most of, or coming second in the competitions she had entered. Her coach is very pleased with her progress, and her new bow has not only helped her shooting, but also helped her to dispel much of the anxiety she was suffering on competition days. Caroline is looking forward to the outdoor season and has already booked for the National Disability Championships at Lilleshall in September 2024 – we look forward to seeing Caroline there!
Gary Crawford received a grant from the Trust in 2021 towards new equipment. Due to family illness his archery activity has been curtailed, but recently Gary has been able to spend more time practising his archery with his club, Wilford Bowmen, and has set several personal best scores shooting and representing the club in the Selby Postal league competition. This new found confidence in his archery has also prompted him to commence a level 1 coaching course.
Debs Ilman-Roberts tells us that she remains beyond grateful for the grant towards a new bow, and is improving all the time. Over the months of February and March Debs improved her Portsmouth Round (60 arrows at 20 yards) personal best to 566 (maximum possible 600). She took on a number of events across Wales and the North/Midlands area thanks to the assistance of her agent Sabrina, and became the North Wales Archery Society Indoor Champion in February, won gold medals as a visitor at the Derbyshire County Championships a week later, and the following day won the Visitor Compound Lady award at the Lancashire Indoor Championships. Debs finished her indoor season in March, having faced 6 months of challenges, new equipment and some high and low points, and was looking forward to what the outdoor season may bring!
The photo is of Gary