One local archer is shooting for the stars.
Claire Halliwell returned from the 2016 B.C. Winter Games content with a fifth-place finish. Little did she know, just one week later she would be holding a medal from a national competition.
“I had a really good day, it was the best I’ve ever shot and I came second in Canada,” the 14-year-old Langford resident said. “I was really happy with how it all turned out.”
Halliwell was competing at the 2016 Regional Indoor Championship in the cadet barebow category, in which athletes use the Olympic-style recurve, but without the sights and counter balances.
Her personal best score of 399 points was 49 higher than her previous best and earned her a silver medal. The competitions were held simultaneously over numerous venues across Canada, including her usual practice place in Saanich.
“It was really nice to have it at Commonwealth (Place), because that is home turf – it’s where I practice and where I hang out with friends,” she said. “It was just really nice to be able to focus in an environment I was used to.”
In her third year in the sport, the Grade 9 student at Maria Montessori Academy in Saanich trains with coach Jarrod Ball. Following her recent success, she has moved from the barebow recurve to the recurve bow used by Olympic archers.
She was introduced to archery by a friend and said members of the Victoria Bowmen club where she trains in View Royal were so welcoming, she never left.
“I love the Victoria Bowmen. I’ve met so many great people … (They’ve) helped me with so much, (they’re) great people to have in my life and I am really grateful I got into archery.”
alim@goldstreamgazette.com