Inspired by Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, a writer decided to try archery for the first time. Despite lacking natural athletic ability, she booked a class at Warringah Archers in Sydney's northern beaches.
Arrival and Initial Doubts
Arriving at a large open field, doubts set in as she recalled past athletic failures: finishing 93rd out of 100 in a primary school cross-country race and taking three hours to complete a 20-minute navigation course. She wondered, "Should I be allowed to pick up a weapon?"
The class had 14 participants aged seven to 60, with two instructors: Ben, who qualified for the Olympics but found it too expensive, and Elizabeth, who called herself "the mean one" but seemed lovely. Ben measured everyone for bows, handed out three arrows each, and warned not to aim at anyone they didn't wish to kill or maim.
First Attempts
Standing 10 metres from the target, she lined up an arrow with trembling hands, pulled back the string, and watched it sail past into the grass. Beside her, her boyfriend shot directly onto the target, earning praise from the instructor—her greatest motivator.
She had spent the past four years mostly horizontal recovering from long Covid, while her boyfriend is fit and able-bodied. But her feral determination kicked in. Stomping through the grass, she retrieved her arrow, slowed her breathing, and struck the target repeatedly.
Overcoming Challenges
The only issue was retracting her elbow into her left breast with such force it felt bruised. A veteran suggested a mesh shield on that side, which looked extremely cool. With her boob safe and spirits high, she moved to the first challenge: bursting a small balloon taped to the target. She pierced it on the first go, experiencing a high like never before.
She slipped the ripped balloon skin into her pocket and nearly cried. Next, the instructor attached a small red stress ball, saying, "You have to get this one dead centre to pierce it." She did it twice.
Reflections on the Experience
For two hours one Saturday morning in mid-winter, she was incredible with a bow and arrow. The pierced stress ball now sits on her mantlepiece. Every day she looks at it and thinks, "Whatever else may happen in my life, maybe if I want something rabidly enough, I can make it happen."
