It's time to introduce you to another of our brilliant new junior ambassadors, letting them tell their story in their own words of who they are, what they love and why they chose to become an Archery GB ambassador. This month, we hear from Sienna Foster.
My brother and dad did archery, but because I had other commitments, I didn’t join in. Until one day I attended a have-a-go and decided that I actually wanted to do archery more, so I joined my club, Ballyvalley Archers Banbridge.
I met loads of new people, and they were all very friendly and encouraging. It made me want to continue the sport as I liked it better than any sport I had done before.
I began shooting barebow indoors until my club explained that I could shoot in something called field competitions, which I loved. I carried on shooting barebow for five years before I was introduced to recurve and target archery by our coaches, Damien Lennon and Carl Bryer.
I loved recurve! I worked my way through the National Talent Development Programme in Northern Ireland and am now in the Performance Academy. I hope to soon reach European level and eventually the World’s, shooting for Archery GB.
I have shot for Northern Ireland on several occasions, including the 2022 Commonwealth, the Youth Festival (twice) and the National Indoor Championships (Junior and Senior). My proudest moment was when I placed fourth at the National Indoor Championships in the Under 16 Recurve Women and was part of the team from Northern Ireland who came in first place.
Archery helps with my dedication in other areas of life, such as school and volunteering. It helps with my time management skills, too, and I am able to focus more by relieving stress, as when shooting I don’t think about my schoolwork or exams. It has also made me more fit, doing strength and conditioning exercises.
I wanted to become an Archery GB Ambassador to promote a sport which I love dearly. I want to bring more people into the archery community and grow the clubs within Northern Ireland and the rest of Great Britain.
I love how much enjoyment I get from the sport, meeting new people and seeing my friends I have made through the years. I enjoy making new friends and talking with people I wouldn’t usually interact with, and I want everyone to know how welcoming the sport is, how it doesn’t have to be expensive to do as a hobby and that it can be really rewarding.
I feel my dedication towards the sport and my love for archery will help me be a good Ambassador. I want to help provide my club with opportunities to come out of their comfort zone at field and 3D shoots and to try and get them to provide more target and indoor competitions, which would be beneficial and help our club grow.
