A student of the II General Secondary School in Bolesławiec began training in archery in the first year of middle school. – Everyone asks me where this passion came from – says Monika Wierzchowska, a representative of Poland, an athlete with GLKS Unia Pielgrzymka and a recipient of a scholarship from the Parents’ Council. – After all, there are many archery sections operating in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
Archery can be practised, among other places, in Legnica, Jelenia Góra, Wrocław, Nowa Ruda and, of course, Pielgrzymka (Złotoryja County). It is worth noting that GLKS Unia Pielgrzymka is the second-ranked club in the country. – We used to joke that in the points classification we were ranked higher than Legia Warszawa – Monika recalls.
– This sport is my passion – she stresses. – At first glance, archery seems terribly boring. You come to training, shoot for about two hours, after a 30–40-minute warm-up. But what really matters here is consistency and a clear mind. One good shot can sometimes be hugely significant.
– You need to have a knack for it – points out Krzysztof Malina, a physical education teacher who wanted to establish an archery section at one of the schools. – It turned out that not everyone has the aptitude. It is by no means an easy sport. The arrow does not fly straight, but in a parabola.
Monika shares this view: – Young athletes sometimes come to the club. And they often think that after one training session they will already be winning every competition. They think success in this sport comes instantly. I have been training for more than five years now and I know that it is not nearly as simple as it may seem at first glance.
– It is not a cheap sport; that is probably its only drawback – the Polish representative admits. A set of arrows costs around PLN 1,200, while the bow Monika shoots costs approximately PLN 3,000.
The archer from “Two” has already won a silver medal at the Polish Team Championships. She took part in the European Cup held in Croatia, where she finished 17th. At the Lower Silesian Championships (January 2014), she won third place in the team event, fifth place individually and third place in the mixed category. She also finished second at the International Archery Competition for the Golden Highlander’s Axe (October 2013 in Żywiec).
She is currently preparing for the Polish Junior Championships and does not hide the fact that her dream is to compete in the Olympic Games.
(information: GA)