IT’S been over two decades since Scotland sent an archer to the Olympics Games, but two teenagers have their sights set on changing that.
Neither Lucy Coutts nor Shay Boyd were even born when Simon Needham was part of Team GB at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and although both are still in their teens, they are already laser focused on reaching the very top of their sport.
Such a dearth of Olympic representation is likely a significant part of the reason archery suffers from such a low profile in this country and certainly, there are few kids picking up a bow and arrow instead of a football these days.
Boyd’s path into archery was perhaps more typical; with his father one of the best archers in Scotland in his younger days, the sport has long run in the family. But for Coutts, her introduction to the sport was down to fate as much as anything else.
“I was on holiday in Bulgaria when I was 10 and I tried archery out and really liked it,” the Largs Academy pupil says.
“When we came back home, my sister got really interested in it and I followed her and from there, I fell in love with the sport.
“Right from the start, I had a lot of natural talent which, I think, is why I enjoyed it so much. I was a sporty kid and tried a lot of different things but I could never quite find one that I really loved and wanted to stick with – until I found archery.”
Both Boyd and Coutts have rapidly moved through the ranks to their current standing, where they go into this weekend’s UK Indoor Championships in Coventry with their sights set on silverware in the under-18 category.
And while their short-term aim is success on the UK stage, both Coutts and Boyd are already allowing themselves to dream of reaching the pinnacle of their sport.
Boyd has his sights set on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 while Coutts, who hopes to pursue a career in medicine alongside her sport, is focusing on Olympic qualification in 2032.
To many, such a long-term goal would be almost impossible to remain fixated on but Boyd has had the Olympic Games on his mind for quite some time already.
“I’m really trying to go for it in 2028 but I know that’s a long way away and there’ll be a lot of work between now and then,” the 17-year-old from Kilwinning Academy says. “I know there’s a lot to do between now and then but it’d be an amazing achievement and it’d mean everything I’ve worked for has come together. It’s the main driver for me already.”
“The Olympics is in everyone’s thoughts, really,” adds Coutts, who is also 17. “With, hopefully, a career in medicine, I think 2028 might be too much to ask for so I’m looking at 2032. It’s weird to think so far ahead but it’s also nice to have something so huge to go for. It’s always in the back of my mind.”
Olympic representation would not only be a personal triumph for Coutts and Boyd but would also be hugely significant for the sport in Scotland. With the pair almost entirely self-funded, they are well aware that archery, and the athletes that aim to follow in their footsteps, would benefit greatly from increased financial support.
Because, as it stands, the financial burden is a significant stressor, admits Boyd.
“It’d be such a big thing if we could help increase the profile of archery in Scotland,” he says.
“It’s really difficult to get the opportunities other people have got in other sports – we’re fighting an uphill battle because there’s pretty much no funding at all.
“And it’s hard because if you’re not having a good day, it’s tough because you know what other people have done for you to be there.”
In a sport that is decided on the finest of margins, any mental baggage can be the difference between winning and losing.
But, for Coutts in particular, high-pressure situations are exactly what she thrives on, something that will almost certainly come in handy at this weekend’s UK Championships.
“I’m quite unusual in that I perform much better under a lot of pressure,” she says.
“It’s a good skill to have. Especially if I’m going up against athletes that might be better than me, I’m able to hold my nerve and put them under pressure and maybe force mistakes from them.
“If you make even a tiny movement on your shot, it can have a huge impact. A lot of the time, the difference between winning and losing is your mental preparation so you have to make sure you get it right.”
READ MORE:
- Protests at World Cup shine a light on just causes but can they really affect change?
- Mud, sweat and tears: Megan Keith keen to continue stellar start as a professional
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here