Archers Talkin' Archery - An Interview with Chloe Dixon

1 – What is your favourite dinosaur?

Raptor, because I am feisty.

2 – What club are you a member of?

Lough Cuan Bowmen

3 – What is your preferred shooting style?

Compound Unlimited

4 – How did you get into archery?

I wanted to try something I'd never done before, and now I love it.

5 – Who is your favourite fictional archer?

Merida from Disney's Brave because she has long red curly hair just like me!

6 – What is your favourite competition type?

Target competitions

7 – What is your favourite shooting venue?

I would like to say Mount Stewart as there's a small walk out to the course and once you're there it's like being in Sherwood Forest.

8 – What is your favourite weather to shoot in?

Sunny weather

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

Pegasus

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

While shooting at Mount Stewart, I saw an old, rusty teapot hanging from a tree branch.

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

Field at Ballywalter Estate.

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

When I scored my first 10, 9 and 8 all on the same target: Total, 27.

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

Merida (Disney's Brave) and Hawkeye (Marvel).

14 – What are your goals in archery?

To work towards more competitions and build up more bling (medals).

15 – What is your proudest achievement in the sport?

When I achieved my first gold medal.

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

Write everything down, e.g. stance/posture, distances etc. to review.

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

Very well. I certainly wouldn't have starved!

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

Getting to meet new people with the same interest as you and seeing beginners advance.

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

Equipment malfunctions and not working as a team.

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

More opportunity for younger generations, e.g. after school clubs.

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

A bear called Fletch.

22 – Who is your most fervent supporter?

All my compound mates at Lough Cuan Bowmen.

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

Horsebow, because the shapes and designs are amazing!

24 – Any advice for girls/women in archery?

Yes, it's not just a man's sport. The first women's event at the Olympics was in 1904 and World Archery was the first international federation to have a female president. It doesn't matter what your age, gender or ability is. It's a sport for everyone and I would encourage more women to try it. You never know, you might find your own Robin Hood.

---

Photo one, Lego cover photo, credit - Matt Latimer

Photo two, Chloe Dixon, credit - Matt Latimer