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It's the beauty of connection, community, and one archer's journey to the Olympics.
Heather Koehl reads her affirmation cards. “I’m doing well. This is what’s going to happen . . .” These days, she is allowing herself to be confident in shooting her shot.
It took a lot of work to get to this place. When she was in her mid-teens, Heather hit a tough patch of “target panic” that lasted for awhile. It’s something archers can go through. You become worried about your progression and you focus on being afraid of not hitting the middle, or missing the target completely and having people witness it. “My mom really helped me stay positive, really lifted me up during those years,” Heather recalls. “I am very thankful for that.”
Mental Battles
The mental battle never really ceases. Heather says that question of whether your shot’s going to be good enough is inevitable. “You’re trying to hit a 122 centimeter face whose center is only the size of an orange, and you’re trying to do this from as far as three quarters of a football field away.”
If Heather finds the ability to shoot from such a distance without a magnified sight remarkable, you’d never know. She matter-of-factly references the scientific studies which detail how our eyes are extraordinarily capable of making adjustments to find a small target.
Archery As Art
When we talk about the biomechanics of archery, Heather notes that Asian countries have always viewed her sport as a martial art, where the mental and physical balance complete a natural and beautiful form. There is evidence of this beauty in how Heather talks about archery. “I love the sport. How my body feels when I’m connected to the bow. When the people around me are working toward the same goals.”
The thrill of performing with the best in the world is really about being surrounded by others who want the same thing she does. It is the energy and the community Heather loves, the stuff that comes from so many people working really hard, aspiring to be great at the same thing.
Having The Mindset
Tell me how you’ve gotten here, I say. I want to know what it is about Heather’s technique that has helped her become a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center and landed her in the final round to qualify for the Olympics. “The top 8 competitors are equally solid in their form,” Heather tells me. “The difference at this level is in mindset.”
That’s where she finds her edge. She reads people, she looks for the emotion behind the shot, and then, she uses it as motivation.
Getting To The Middle
When she’s in the act of shooting, Heather focuses on shooting for her best. She can cope with the fear because she’s practiced for it. She sees the chance to test herself in the best of circumstances but also in the worst. Can she hold body and mind still in the wind, for example? And in the rain?
When she’s up on the line, Heather takes a deep breath. She recalls her affirmations. She reminds herself of how much archery means to her. And she hears herself say, “That’s how it’s gonna get to the middle.” The words channel a toughness that would serve anyone well.
Happiness Is Palpable
If there is ever a time when it gets to be too much, Heather will simply let her arms down, and then re-start her draw. In it, she forms a “T,” bringing the 43-pound weight of her bow back with her left hand while extending her right straight to the target. As she follows through, she allows her left hand to glide across her neck as her right points down to the ground, relaxed. Then, she finishes it well.
The happiness archery brings her is palpable and evokes the joy you would picture in a five-year-old Heather, who, after watching Disney’s Robin Hood, carried a bow and arrow around for the next six months until her parents gave into a trip to the archery shop.
Heather is of a slight frame and competing in archery is her signal to others that any body type can work in the sport. In the end, she believes in delivering inspiration and happiness by example.
Congratulations to Heather in earning her spot as Alternate on the 2012 US Summer Olympic Team!
