[SLOWHAND]

Since taking up archery three and a bit years ago it has really taken over my life. I love the laughs and banter at club nights (and the drink afterwards in good company) the hours spent in practice, buying new kit and messing about with it untill it's right. But most of all I really love the competitive side of the sport. I enjoy indoor competitions but for me the absolute pinacle is doing a two or three day shoot in the middle of summer at a nice venue, camping with my 16 yr. old son and chatting to other archers as you eat your fish n' chips outside the tent and looking forward to the next day. I have made some wonderfull friends through archery and look forward to making many more. I'm quite a competitive type of person and archery is one of the very few things in my life that I'm good at (county and European records).I didn't discover the sport untill I was fifty years old and you have no idea how much I regret the fact that I didn't take it up in my teens, but then again would I still be enjoying it as much now if I had?

Now listen, LISTEN all of you people who think that age is a barrier. My ambition is to shoot the type of scores that make it impossible for the Olympic selection committee to ignore me, at the very least I want to shoot for England and break world and European records. Will I do it? Dont know, but if I dont it wont be because of the lack of trying. And the minute I think that I'm too old, thats when I'll know I am too old (and take up compound!!)