Umina Beach High School student Holly Parker has been selected to represent Australia in the 2023 World Archery Oceania Championships to be held in Adelaide from April 13-16 and also the Trans Tasman, a team event against New Zealand which precedes the Championships.
Aged just 15, Holly has been shooting arrows since she was seven years old, having initially learnt how to shoot at the Umina Beach PCYC
She is no stranger to representative archery, having represented NSW twice before, as part of the state team for outdoor target and also indoor target archery – both times the NSW Compound Bow team came first in Australia.
Holly has won countless medals and trophies and just recently was named the best all round under 16 Compound Bow Archer by the Archery Society of NSW.
“I am so excited that I have been chosen to represent my country,” she said.
“I have worked so hard to achieve this.
“Representing NSW is a huge honour, so to be selected to wear Green and Gold is another level.
“But I’m not just excited to shoot arrows; I’ll also be meeting and competing with youth archers from other countries.
I have made great friends in this sport and to make friends from overseas is something else.”
With archery not being a well-funded sport in Australia, competitors need to pay their way and Holly’s family has set up a Go Fund Me Page to help pay the costs of getting to Adelaide and for accommodation.
“My Dad is a single parent and is right behind me, extremely proud, and will do whatever it takes to help get me there, but it is a big expense to take on by himself – so any donation will help.,” Holly said.
Holly is a member of Coast Archers at Erina.
Her Go Fund Me page can be found at https://gofund.me/09778e0c.
Source:
Media release, Mar 5
Barry Parker, Youth Coordinator, Archery NSW