Welsh Archery athletes leading the way for next generation
There is a thriving community around WSA members Welsh Archery Association, with athletes at the top of the sport inspiring those coming through at grassroots level.
Compound archer Ioan Rees and recurve archer Megan Costall are just two of the Welsh athletes with the visibility that provides the hope and excitement to get young people into the sport and participating with joy.
Both have enjoyed strong results lately, flying the Welsh flag as they represent Great Britain.
Rees has recently claimed a second-placed finish in the National Tour and has just won gold as part of the U21 Men’s team and bronze as part of the Mixed Pairs team at the World Archery Field Championships across the Atlantic in the USA.
Costall, meanwhile, also finished second in the National Tour and is currently on the National Olympic Pathway programme, having represented GB in several international competitions this year, notably winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the team competitions.
“It makes us really proud when we see our young athletes achieving success at national and international level, and having them be part of the national GB Olympic programme,” WAA Chair, Debbie Cooke, told us.
“I feel so proud to represent Wales in my sport,” Rees stated. “For me it means everything, there is no bigger honour and better feeling than to shoot for your country.”
Costall added that she feels “incredibly proud to represent my country, and my town.
“I want to be a role model to all of the aspiring athletes with fewer opportunities, less grassroots sport, and more challenges who live in less connected areas of Wales. So, every time I represent Wales I do it with pride and the hope that I can inspire one more person.”
The idea of community is a big part of the organisation and its membership, with successful athletes always making a point of visiting the academies and taking part in coaching to share their experiences, successes and tips for getting to the next level.
“It makes them excellent role models for our up-and-coming juniors,” said Debbie.
“Having athletes who have progressed through these academies and then compete and succeed at national and international level is great encouragement and shows what is possible with hard work.
“We are lucky that our archers who are competing on that stage come back and share, help coach, and even give presentations at our annual coaching conference.”
That willingness, though, is instilled into the athletes through their own experiences when progressing through the pathway.
“Throughout my entire journey, Welsh archery has been there supporting me,” Costall said. “Back in the academy, I received coaching, advice, support and friendship, and even though I’m now on a GB academy, I still receive the same friendship and support.
“At the centre of it all, I would say that Welsh archery is family. They’re behind you every step of the way, shouting, cheering, and celebrating!”
Rees added that the Welsh Archery community is “always so friendly and supportive to each other, whether it’s on or off the shooting field.
“Progressing through the ranks with the help of the WAA has been critical to my success; without that, I might never have got this far. It’s helped me get onto the AGB pathway and get selected for European and World Championship teams.”
Debbie went on to label the idea of community as “vital” within the WAA network.
“Archery is essentially a solo sport and there are only a few competitions where archers compete as part of a team. Having the support of people from your club is good when you are competing, but not all archers travel to competitions. Activities such as the Academies bring archers into contact with others from different clubs across Wales, which then builds a network of support.
“A great example is the Junior Academy and the attendance of Welsh archers at the National Youth Festival competition held in the summer. This is a week-long festival, at which we only used to see one or two of our archers attend. Since the Junior Academy has picked back up after the pandemic, though, a strong sense of community has been built and we’ve seen an increase in archers attending the competition and supporting each other throughout the week.”
The WAA is a brilliant example of an NGB encouraging a sense of community to support its young athletes and enabling them to thrive and reach the levels that we see the likes of Rees and Costall compete at.
Through that emphasis on support and encouragement, Rees and Costall are achieving fantastic success to inspire the next generation below them.
And we haven’t seen the last of the pair, either.
“I’m looking forward to continuing my success with Wales and GB, concluded Rees. “With compound archery potentially getting into the Olympics, it would be a dream to get selected. If you ask anyone in sport, an Olympic medal is the ultimate prize.”
That hope is shared by Costall, who told us that the Olympic stage has “been my dream since I started sport at a very young age.
“Seeing it so close on the horizon is as amazing as it is terrifying,” she concluded. “I’m looking forward to the journey and the challenge that will come with our battle to win Olympic spots, and win a medal in LA!”
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