ARCHER KATIE AIMS FOR SPONSORSHIP
By Christy Parker | Photo Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Youghal Archer Katie O’Brien
One of Youghal’s most promising young sports stars is hoping she can fulfill her immense promise despite increasing demands on her time and resources. Katie O’Brien, 17, is fast fashioning a major reputation in the world of archery.
She currently holds the female indoor and outdoor National Junior Championhip titles. She has represented her country over the past two years, and was part of the squad that finished second in the 2007 Euronations championships.
Already being coached by Irish national coach Hans Brun, at the Artemis Cork Archeries club, Katie is deemed a potential future Olympian -possibly London in 2012. Her immense potential has seen her selected to travel to Egypt at the end of June. “It will be twelve days of Olympic style training, where we will shoot 450 arrows per day,” says the excited teenager. Afterwards she is expected to join the Irish Junior squad prior to the 2008 Euronations in Wales and, should Ireland enter, the World Championships in Turkey in September.
Her very participation and her progress beyond these competitions is in serious doubt however. Presently unemployed, the strain on her resources is immense. “I have to travel to Cork every week to train at Artemis and I also travel there to practice in my dad’s backyard whenever I can. Then I have to travel to competitions all over the country and buy equipment, which is very expensive,” she explains. “Its very hard because I get no funding whatsoever. The Sports Council will fund part of our Egypt expenses but we have to contribute to that too.”
While her family do what they can, Katie has now composed letters seeking help from local and Cork businesses. “I desperately need sponsorship of some sort,” she pleads, her eyes, for the first time, losing their sparkle when talking of the sport for which she lives. “I don’t care if it’s one off, a longer term sponsorship deal or if I can get some sort of work to get the finances I need to keep going.”
Friendly and inherently humorous, Katie’s pre-occupation with her precision sport is neither novel nor new. “I can’t remember what first inspired me, but I remember shooting arrows when I was just five, during a trip to Wales,” she smiles. “I can’t remember never wanting to shoot.” She joined Artemis four years ago, since when her ability has blossomed. The eldest of four girls, she “simply couldn’t live” without the sport. “I injured my shoulder a few months ago and nearly cracked up,” she declares earnestly.
When not pointing an arrow, music is one of the few other strings to her bow. It’s not a participatry pursuit of course, but Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Lincoln Park, manage to hit the mark. Elsewhere, the Munster and Ireland rugby sides may somehow manage to distract her gaze, though not for long!
Katie O’Brien looking to the future
Archery is one of Ireland’s less debated sports. The country’s Olympic representation is usually quite small, since first being represented by James Conroy at the 1976 games. In 1984, two women, Hazel Greene (20th place) and Mary Vaughan (39th) carried the flag. “We’ve yet to win a medal,” Katie sighs. Perhaps 2012…
Meanwhile inquiries/assistance for Katie at: katiealisonobrien {at} gmail(.)com
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