While I was out competing for GBR at the world championships, I had a strange thought. This competition isn't really about archery at all. Don't believe me? Read on...
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There's plenty of time to spend in your own head during a tournament[/caption]
It's the morning of qualification. I'm about to shoot and a thought goes through my head. It's one I've had often, though it changes every time. Maybe it's: "am I strong enough to make this shot" or "am I shaking too much" or "will this go where I'm aiming it". They all boil down to the same question: "can I do this?"
I've been shooting for 7 years now. I've shot over 100,000 arrows, taken up distance running​, learned how to lift weights, obsessed over 100s of videos of technique, and slowly, steadily increased my confidence. 7 years ago I was "bad at sports". Now I've learned one to such a fine degree that I fly around the world to represent an entire country at it. That is crazy in itself but what is even crazier is that all of that experience can seem to vanish in an instant when the pressure is on.
During practice about 20 minutes before starting the competition I was still proving to myself what I'm capable of. 7 tens out of the last ten arrows. And yet when the scoring starts, once again I ask myself the question... "can I really do this?"
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Its such a fine balance of control and power at this moment. The mind must be positive and focused to pull it off![/caption]
I'm starting to understand that it's not about the archery at all. The score, the matches, the competition is just a means to see if we able to master the battle within our own minds. Yes we must train hard, build the skills to be able to compete, but ultimately that's just a blend of hard work and guidance. No one is reinventing the wheel here.
The person who wins this week will have finely honed all of their skills, technique and equipment, just the same as the next 50 people down the leaderboard. But everyone will still ask themselves the same question... "can I do this?"
As for the winners, they will know the answer within themselves even as they ask....
"Yes, I can"