Friday, March 29, 2024

An Arrow Shot Towards Success

by Ivan Anthony A. Adaro | April 6, 2022

“The feeling of shooting an arrow and hitting the goal helps you build self-confidence and enjoy a sense of accomplishment found in the simplest joy of self-satisfaction. However, the biggest lesson that I have learned from archery is also the simplest — having a certain goal in mind and being true to your aim,” a skilled, young passionate archer said.  

Archery is a skill and talent that takes a lifetime to master. More to the training and exercises rooted in this sport that develops hand-eye coordination and concentration, this sport is a life-long process filled with experiences, obstacles, and challenges that make one stronger, braver, and better. However, pursuing this path is not an easy one as it takes pure dedication, sheer focus, and natural talent to fire an accurate shot towards the desired goal with a sure, steady hand — something that not all can easily master. 

Still, none of those can extinguish the burning desire shining within the soul of a passionate archer whose love and passion for the sport are rooted deep within their lives and sheer determination to grow, learn, and improve. Phoebe Nicole Amistoso, a 20-year-old skilled archer and a recent 2022 Southeast Asian (SEA) games qualifier, is living proof that through perseverance and discipline, anyone can achieve anything and hit the bull’s eye.

The Beginnings of Her Journey as an Archer

Phoebe has been into archery for about 6 years now. She started her training last January 2015, back when she was still 14 years old. At first, she wanted to train for soccer, but her parents declined due to some personal concerns. Growing up, Phoebe has always loved watching anime shows such as “Inuyasha” where the main character also happens to be an archer as well. “I was really interested and inspired by the main character of the show, and I really wanted to try it out. Later, I realized that it was fun and ever since then, archery has become the sport that I wanted to master,” Phoebe said.

She is currently a 2nd-year college student at Silliman University in BS Nutrition and Dietetics. She is currently based in Marikina, Manila, but was born and raised in Sibulan, Negros Oriental. Right now, she is a qualified player in the archery category for the 2022 SEA games scheduled from May 12 to May 23 in Hanoi, Vietnam, and is training hard along with her coach and teammates.

Her Greatest Achievements and Experiences 

What she really loves most about archery is the feeling of self-accomplishment found in being able to shoot the arrow well and improving every day. She also enjoys the bond she builds with her team and meeting new people and cultures in local, national, and international competitions, as well as traveling to different places around the country and across the globe. The most recent one she competed in outside of the country was in Thailand. She also competed in Taiwan and Spain, and soon, she will be traveling to Vietnam to compete in the 2022 SEA games. 

One of the first and earliest competitions she has competed in was the National Batang Pinoy Competition she attended in Bulacan back in 2015, just a few months after she had started training. In 2017, she was able to take part in the Philippine National Team Development Training program where she further improved her skills. A year after that, however, she had to drop out of the program in order to compete in her very first Palarong Pambansa Competition in Vigan last 2018. Having won 4 gold and 2 bronze medals, she shared that the awards and experiences she has garnered from that competition were among the greatest achievements she has made in archery. 

The Obstacles and Support

Archery is a skill that takes a lifetime to master. It requires constant training and discipline. “Just like in archery and in real life, when you do something, you need to have a certain goal in mind because if you do not have one, then there is really no meaning in what you are doing.”, Phoebe shared. However, there were moments wherein she felt like she did not reach the expectations set by herself and others, and when fear and doubt got the better of her. Still, that did not stop her from firing the bow. Instead, she acknowledged these challenges that can make her stronger and better. “I know I’m a good archer. I just need to convince myself and aim higher,” she added.

Her greatest weapon and brightest arrow in the quiver is her strong support system — her parents, family, friends, boyfriend, and teammates that motivates her to strive and work harder. She most especially is grateful for the coaches who have trained and supported her to become the archer she is today. Currently, her coach is Miss Jennifer Chan, a member of the Philippine National team.  “I am really thankful for these people because without them, I wouldn’t be here right now. As an archer, I always look up to my coaches and teammates, and this inspires me to train harder,” Phoebe said. 

Phoebe also shared that the key to being successful in archery or anything in life is to have good time management skills, patience and perseverance, and determination. “As a student athlete, I was able to develop good time management skills in balancing my school and sport life. Archery has always taught me to be patient and to persevere when things go rough,” Phoebe expressed. She also believes that determination and having a clear goal in mind are what can make you go further in life.

The Positive Role of Sports in the Community

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), which occurs annually on April 6, showcases an opportunity to recognize the positive role of sports in communities and people’s lives. In relation to that, Phoebe expressed her insights and agreement that sport, indeed, has a positive role in the community. She believes that sports are powerful tools that can strengthen social ties and establish peaceful and healthy relationships among people, as well as solidarity and respect for all. “I believe that sports can help in combatting social issues like discrimination and racism as sports encourages us to interact with others and understand their cultures and backgrounds. Personally, I have witnessed and experienced that when I travel to other countries to compete and meet new people”, said Phoebe.

Final Remarks

At the moment, Phoebe is focused on beating her own score and conquering her fears. Her next goal is to make it to the Olympics and master her own craft. Still, she owes it all to the people who have supported her. “A quick shout out to my parents, to Miss Jennifer Chan who is my current coach and also my teammate, to Pia Elizabeth Angela Bidaure and Gabrielle Monica Bidaure. I also would like to acknowledge the support of our coaches in the Philippine team, Miss Purita Joy Marinio, and Sir Klitz Sayo,” said Phoebe.  

On that positive note, Phoebe would like to encourage everyone, especially the youth, to engage in sports for not only does it keep you physically active but also keeps you mentally tough and driven. She also expressed that sports are also an important enabler of youth and women empowerment as it pushes everyone to wake up to a certain goal. “Continue growing that passion within you and never give up,” she quoted.

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