Archers Talkin' Archery - An Interview with Amanda Byrne

1 – What is your favourite dinosaur?

Pterodactyl

2 – What club are you a member of?

Ballyvally Archers Banbridge

3 – What is your preferred shooting style?

Compound

4 – How did you get into archery?

My youngest, Sinead, started archery when she was 8 years old and rather than me sit and watch her all the time, Frank Mulligan persuaded me to try the sport myself. Although archery seems to run in the family as my 2 other daughters and son took up the sport in primary school as well, and my 2 granddaughters both shoot.

5 – Who is your favourite fictional archer?

Robin Hood

6 – What is your favourite competition type?

I like field.

7 – What is your favourite shooting venue?

Has to be my shooting at the indoor range at home.

8 – What is your favourite weather to shoot in?

Calm and sunny.

9 – Would you rather do archery whilst riding a unicorn or a pegasus?

A pegasus.

10 – What is the oddest thing you have seen during a competition?

Has to be Lillieshall weather. You can get sun, rain, wind, hailstones and snow in the one day.

11 – What is the highest level of competition you have shot in?

Club level. I don't do many competitions.

12 – What is the best shot you have made in a competition?

Any shots in the gold are good for me.

13 – Which fictious archers would you want on your side for a team match?

Robin Hood and William Tell.

14 – What are your goals in archery?

To compete more.

15 – What is your proudest achievement in the sport?

Not giving up.

16 – What is the best advice you have been given in archery?

Shoot the way it is comfortable for you, not everyone is the same.

17 – How do you think you would have fared in the stone age with a bow and arrows?

Not good at all.

18 – What is the one thing you really enjoy in the sport?

Archers supporting, and looking out for each other.

19 – What one thing in the sport irritates you the most?

Some judges not knowing the rules themselves, or ignoring them when it suits them.

20 – What would you like to see in terms of improvement within archery as a sport?

More qualified coaches in N. Ireland, and for our juniors to be listened too more and not ignored.

21 – What do you think would make a great mascot for the sport of archery?

Fletch the GB mascot (lion).

22 – Who is your most fervent supporter?

My archery beastie, Rachael McComb.

23 – If you could shoot another bow style, what would it be?

None.

24 – Any advice for girls/women in archery?

Your biggest competition will always be yourself. Never ever let anyone try and put you down! Be proud of how hard you are trying and be proud of how far you have come in the sport but most importantly enjoy your journey!

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Photo credit, Lego cover photo - Matt Latimer

Photo credit, photos of Amanda Byrne - Sinead Byrne and Rachael McComb