Tags
Archery, Archery Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Event, First Time, Goals, Outdoor, Pan-Am Games, Personal Best, Team, Tournament, Training, World Archery
Wow, what an experience; I have just returned home from the Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru. The weather was calm & cool but the competition was on fire. This was my first multi-sport games and third international competition. I’m so proud of what the team accomplished here and how we were all there for each other through the highs and the lows.
The practice days went really well as we settled into the daily routine at the Pan-Am Village. Mariessa, Virginie, and I really enjoyed chatting with athletes and staff from all the other countries on our quest to trade pins and to collect them all. The weather was fantastic for archery; calm, overcast, with maybe just a little too much cold. And we had the opportunity to hang out with Canadian athletes from other sports in the lounge while cheering on our Canadian teammates on TV.
In competition, I settled in quickly and found a groove to eventually improve upon my personal best by 22 points in the ranking round, placing me in 7th just 2 points behind 5th! Our men’s, women’s, and mixed teams all seeded a solid 4th! Practice and competition continued feeling really strong throughout the week. After a good start in individual eliminations, I lost my first round match in a close 6-4 battle with Maira Sepulveda of Columbia. But I was able to maintain focus and keep my emotions and stress under control during my first mixed team competition with veteran teammate Crispin Duenas which included my first two televised head-to-head matches on the big stage! In the end, we unfortunately lost two hard fought matches to the USA in the semi-finals and to Mexico in the bronze medal match to finish in 4th place. The men’s team won gold, Crispin and Eric won gold and bronze individually, and the women’s team finished in 7th. This team has a great dynamic and we are growing closer & stronger by the day!
This week was a huge success for me and my development. Not only did I shoot a PB, but I was able to maintain that quality throughout the week as the pressure and the stakes increased. All of the support and preparation has definitely paid off; thank you so much to each and every one of you! Without your support, this year would have looked very different. Looking forward to next year, we will have two more opportunities in the spring (Mexico & Germany) to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 olympics. Please continue to follow/like/share/donate to support our journey to Olympic Gold!
Seven archers en route to Lima for the 2019 Pan American Games
Canadian Archers Claim Double Gold & an Olympic Quota Place at Pan Am Games
Stephanie Barrett 