WATCH : Local archer takes a bow

A BOW and arrow have been part of Danya Thompson’s life since she was a toddler. The Durban Girls’ High School learner (14) was recently presented with her Protea Blazer for archery and is jetting off to the United Kingdom to represent her country at the World Championships with the South Africa National Indoor and Field Archery Association (SANIFAA) in February. This is not a first for Thompson – she ‘hit the bull’s eye’ when she attended the World Championships in New Zealand in 2019 and placed first in the U12 category. She took up the sport at just five years old, following in her parents’ footsteps.

“I got my cap last week, but you officially become a Protea archer when you shoot your first arrow at a tournament,” said Thompson.

She went on to explain that her first target was to meet the score requirement to make the provincial archery team and thereafter to meet the national score requirements before qualifying for the Protea team – a milestone for Thompson.

“I don’t even know how to explain how it felt when the realisation hit – after working so hard to achieve this goal,” she said.

The youngster trains every day for about 30 minutes to an hour.

ALSO READ: Bowls comp ‘gets rolling’ at Durban Bowling Club

“I generally shoot 30 to 60 arrows – 60 arrows is generally the equivalent to one competition. I usually practise at home, outdoors. With indoor archery, arrows are much thicker. Outdoor arrows will be thinner because the thickness and weight of the arrow will be affected by the wind,” she said.

Thompson explained that there are two types of bows that are primarily used in competitive archery: The recurve (or Olympic) bow, which is made of metal and composites, and the compound bow, which is much more compact and uses cams and other mechanisms to improve accuracy. Scoring differs according to each bow. Thompson currently uses a compound bow.

“When I started out, I was using a standard bow which is basically the same as a recurve bow, but it doesn’t have as much of a stabiliser. With a recurve bow, the draw length is not always precise, and the way you aim differs. Everyone will tell you a compound bow is easier, but I think it’s harder because scores increase dramatically, and there are higher ranges.

“Recurve, I will admit, is difficult – it’s much harder to make it in the sport with a recurve bow, but the compound bow also comes with difficulties. It depends who you ask. There are a lot of jokes and memes going around about that in the archery community,” she said.

Fitness, fantasy and plans for the future

For Thompson, every sport comes with its own fitness demands, and archery is no different. In archery, draw weight or poundage refers to the force needed to draw the bow. Every bow has a specific draw weight.
“With archery, you have to have shooting fitness. Your different poundage is basically how much weight you pull when you draw the bow back. I have pulled in the 40-pound range while some people pull in the 60-pound range. With every arrow you shoot, you are pulling that weight. If you are shooting 60 arrows, you are going to have to be fit in a way that you are able to pull that weight 60 times,” she explained.

With her red hair and archery skills, Thompson has been likened to the Disney character, Merida, from the 2012 film, Brave – and for some, this is the closest they have come to archery. When asked what she thought of the film’s portrayal of archery, Thompson said it was actually quite accurate.

ALSO READ: SAPS bridge the gap with homeless at sports day

“There is a scene where Merida shoots the arrow, and we see it bending – that is sort of a paradox that does work. It is actually a very good explanation of archery in some ways,” said Thompson.

When she isn’t practising archery, Thompson enjoys a range of sports, including tennis, water polo and occasionally golf. She is considering a career in mechanical engineering after school and hopes to continue competing in archery for many years to come. Follow Thompson’s journey on her Facebook page: Danya Thompson Protea Archer.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.