Last weekend, Tamara Grujicic, a sophomore, competed at the Arizona State Outdoor Archery Championship and won the bronze metal. Archery probably dates back to the Stone Age; the Ancient Egyptians used bows and arrows and adopted archery around 3000 BC for hunting and warfare. Years later, we found the earliest evidence of archery during the Shang Dynasty in China. Chinese people introduced Japan to archery in the sixth century, which had a major impact on it’s culture. After that period, The Middle Eastern’s superiority in archery equipment and technique reigned for centuries. Since the usage of gunpowder, archery’s importance in warfare decreased- instead it developed into a recreational and competitive sport.

I interviewed Tamara with questions about the competition and what her experience was like.

Q: What inspired you to do archery?

A: It is a funny story actually; there was an archery place when I moved into my new house. I  wanted to try it out because I was curious, but then I ended up really enjoying it. After that, I joined a club and have loved it ever since.

Q: Can you explain what the whole experience was like?

It was nerve-wrecking at first, but as time went on, I learned to calm myself and not to focus on what the outcome was. This helped me a lot more because I had a better time and overall shot a lot better. After the competition, I felt accomplished and proud of myself. But when I won, I felt very surprised.

Q: Do you see yourself pursuing archery in the future?

Yes, definitely. I am going to use it to get in to college and pursue it even more there. I don’t exactly have a preference of where I want to go, but I definitely want to do archery wherever I am at.

Hearing Tamara talk about archery makes me want to try it so much! A huge congratulations to Tamera, ACP wishes you luck to all of your upcoming competitions.