COUNTY NEWS: Sussex archer aims for the top after meteoric rise

A Sussex archer who only took up the sport just over three years ago has bagged a place on the Great Britain field archery team.
Michaela Lake SUS-160727-180137001 SUS-160727-180137001Michaela Lake SUS-160727-180137001 SUS-160727-180137001
Michaela Lake SUS-160727-180137001 SUS-160727-180137001

Michaela Lake has had a incredible start to her archery career in her 40s, winning 106 gold medals, breaking British records and making the national team.

She scooped the title of British Traditional Champion from the British Open Field Championships in Greenmount, was awarded three British gold medals and increased her score in three national records.

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Then two weeks after Greenmount, Michaela clocked up another two British records – meaning she registered five records in just three weeks.

Asked about her meteoric rise, she said, “No-one is more surprised than me as I have been the most unsporty person all my life. I’ve never felt particularly good at anything. It was like finding my niche.

“My teenagers both did archery and I just sat behind the shooting line, reading. After a few months people kept saying to me ‘why not do a beginners course?’ and at least then you would have something to do. I did. I absolutely loved it. I was quickly addicted as every time I shot, my scores gradually crept up.”

Within six months she had won the Sussex and English Field Championships as well as the Welsh Field Championships. Michaela’s talent didn’t go unnoticed. She was approached by the GB 3D Field team manager at a tournament in April 2014.

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“He said to me, ‘if you can shoot a qualifying score this weekend, you could be on the Great Britain to shoot in Estonia in September’.”

Michaela, from Eastbourne, leapt at the opportunity to wear the Great Britain shirt and she currently holds the British records for Ladies Traditional Field Marked round, Ladies Traditional Field Unmarked round, Ladies Traditional Field Combined and the Ladies Traditional Field Mixed round, but she doesn’t intend to rest on her laurels.

“I received a letter last week saying that I have qualified for the European 3D championships in Slovenia. This time I hope to achieve higher than coming 11th place. In April 2017, I am shooting for the World Masters in New Zealand and hope to qualify for the 3D championships in France in 2017 and in Canada in 2019. I realise that in my 40s, my time shooting internationally may be short-lived, but I’m loving every minute of it.”

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