WEBER WAY TO WELLNESS REPORTER—CENTRAL FLORIDA, Fall 2021 Seven Teams throughout Central Florida competed in the first archery fitness championship, since the pandemic. It goes down in the books as the 11th Championship and the Red Rubies from Orlando have won their 7th Team Championship with 167 points!! The mixed teams “Arrow Buddies” from Clermont/Groveland and “Amazing Halcyon” from Winter Garden/Clermont tied for second place with 165 points!!
Ninety percent of the competitors were newbies this season, while the rest consisted of veteran competitors. The youngest competitor was age 6 and oldest was 16. Kai (age 11) won the individual male agility archery championship with 63 points representing the Red Rubies. Following behind him was his teammate Tristan with 61 points. The third place boy was veteran competitor and 2020 Spring Archery Champ, Adam, from Team Amazing Halcyon. On the female side, Lilly from Team Arrow Buddies (age 14) won first for women and tied with Tristan for second overall with 61 points. Maryrose from Amazing Halcyon placed 2nd for girls with 53 points and Zoey from Arrow Buddies placed third for girls with 49 points.
The youth train and excel in the most difficult type of archery – barebow category archery (without sighting devices). They were tested in archery at 10 yards, magnetic darts at 6 feet, and a 9 foot long timed agility archery challenge. The combined results make their total score.
Kai knew that he did not need a bow and arrow to practice to get better. Coach Weber gave him and all the students Top Secret 2 minute bodyweight exercises that helped make previous champions. Coach Weber said anyone who does their “exercise homework” will improve sooo much that she will not recognize them in one week! Kai took his homework seriously and stunned everyone with results no one has seen him do in practice.
“I have been doing my 2 minute exercises, which made me more confident and capable of achieving great things in archery,” exclaimed Kai, the 2021 Fall Champion.
Lilly loves the fitness added into archery and definitely knows it makes a difference. “It feels cool to win for girls and place second overall out of boys and girls. The agility training translates to better archery as it helps with the hand-eye coordination and speed,” stated Lilly, the Female 2021 Champ.
Runner-Up Champ, Maryrose, said, “I am excited to participate. This seems like a fun opportunity.”
Third place Zoey on second place team really wanted to do a unique sport. When she heard about Alicia’s Archery Fitness Sport League she jumped on the opportunity to join! “I am actually really surprised that I got third place for girls already as a newbie. I enjoy the archery and the fitness. It is a fun sport,” said the excited Zoey after hearing the news that she won third place!
Overall, the kids enjoyed the camaraderie, good sportsmanship, weekly challenges, and championship competition that they had this fall 2021. Now, they will look forward to 2022 and the new challenges in the Archery, Fitness, Sports League under the tutelage of Coach Alicia Weber who has trained athletes from grassroots to Olympic level in her 24 year career.
END OF REPORT