Starbuck archer back in training

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/03/2015 (4096 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joanna Lachance, 23, comes by her passion for a bow and arrow naturally.

She said she was first introduced to using a compound bow for hunting deer at a young age because it was a family activity on the Lachances’ property near Starbuck.

“I was about 10 when I started to compete,” she said. “I’ve always loved the sport.”

She learned to shoot with a recurve bow at Silver Heights Archery Range (2281 Portage Ave.), then competed on Manitoba’s archery teams at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse and 2011 Games in Halifax. She won a silver medal at the 2007 competition.

Lachance helped some of this year’s Team Manitoba archery members train at the Silver Heights Range, including Headingley’s Jessie Major.

Lachance was pleased to be asked to serve as team manager for the young Manitobans competing in archery at the 2015 Canada Winter Games held last month in Prince George, B.C.
Two Manitoba team members using compound bows placed first in an individual and team event.

Lachance resumed her own training in the past few months in hopes of scoring points in regional and national competitions. She said her long-term goal is participating in a world cup event and also being selected for Canada’s Olympic archery team.

She cites one of her coaches, former Olympian Jay Lyon as a mentor. Lyon competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, finishing 10th in the men’s individual recurve competition.

While Lachance plans on taking up a compound bow for hunting in the future, she will continue training with a recurve bow.

“Both coaches told me to switch to recurve,” she said.

Facebook.com/TheHeadlinerWPG
Twitter: @CanstarHeadline