Elina's Archery Blog

I'm Elina, a former Finnish amateur archer. I started shooting bow already in 2003 but because of an injury in my arm I had to quit in 2006. Fortunately, in 2008 I could start again. There were regular ups and downs along my journey as an archer. After another break of three months I decided to start over again in 2012 thinking that writing this blog would help motivate me training. Actually it did until new difficulties arose. However, that time I didn't know that I would never compete again. What happened? Here is the story.  

[emmaelina]

A teaser of my historical, 9th century Viking Age novel series Tavastia Chronicles with lots of archery, warriors, horses and riding! (Written in Finnish) 

http://tavastiachronicles.blogspot.fi/

Music: Vikings by Roger Subirana Mata Drawings: Satu Niinimäki

[emmaelina]

Writing blog after a long break

It is a decisive point in your life when you can’t do anymore the important things that were your favorites or even a passion. It’s terrible when you realize that it’s over. That is what happened to me as an amateur archer. 

Long story short: I got a severe anemia. My illness has lasted several years already and probably I’ll never recover fully. During these years I have been put on a drip couple of times to get iron. The reason for my illness is still unclear. Thus I could’t exercise sport anymore. Fortunately I could work though, because I’m a professional writer (in my mother language Finnish). However, some other misfortunes happened. At one point my life couldn’t be sadder, because I felt as if one thing after another was taken away from me. 

What was the result of all this personal misery? Definitely my life needed a rethink. So after a while I started to write novels, just for fun of course - and to survive mentally. 

That’s how I created my Viking Age saga Tavastia Chronicles. It’s a historical fiction from 9th century Finland and it now includes three books in Finnish: I Soturiprinsessa (Warrior Princess), II Idän turkiskauppias (Fur Trader from the East) and III Kuninkaan testamentti (King's Legacy). 

Later I realised that by writing I actually could combine with my other two passions writing and history all that already before the life change meant so much to me and that I had to give up: archery, riding and studying archaeology.

This beautiful picture is by my friend Satu, who has drawn all the three book covers. Copyright of the drawing: Satu Niinimäki.  

[emmaelina]

Arcus (by archerytv)

"Archery - the ultimate sporting challenge".

This is how I saw archery from the very first arrow I shot in 2003. Although promotional movie every word is true in it. I hope that everyone had an opportunity to try it at least once in a liftetime!

[emmaelina]

W&W Archery Fan Reporter - Val d'Isère Day 1 - Field Championships (by archerytv)

This week I have followed the World Field Archery Championships which are held in Val d'Isere, France. I'm so jealous of my archer buddies who have been competing there this week!!! But one day I might be with them :)

Last time in 2010 the World Field Archery Championships was an immense success for the team Finland. This time they didn't get any gold medals (yet) but perhaps one is coming on Sunday though. Also, the teams will compete on Saturday. So far, the team Finland did a good job anyway. After all, it's WC!

One of the Finnish juniors, Mirjam, will fight for the gold medal of the junior category in recurve on Sunday. Let's hope for the best! One of my archery club mate's from Turku won the place in the 2013 World Games for Finland as this competition in Val d'Isère was the qualifying event for the World Games. Congrats! 

There is more to read and see in the official web page of the event http://www.valsport.org/fr/Club_des_Sports/Arc_2012/ 

Live scoring at http://www.archery.org/eventresults/LiveInfoDefault.aspx?e=448 

News on the web page of World Archery http://www.archery.org/

And of course the Archerytv on Youtube!

[emmaelina]

Demonstrating archery in my home village

In July 11th I had an opportunity to tell about archery and demonstrate my hobby in my home village. There was a traditional village event organized by the local Village Association where I'm a member, too. It was my idea to show archery to everyone and indeed the people were interested, especially the children. It was fun and I really had a good time! 

This is a photo of the article mentioned below. Unfortunately I'm too lazy to translate it in English but it definitely was good publicity for archery! :) 

My former archery club Kymen Jousi from Kouvola sponsored me by lending the equipment for this event. Thanks!!! The local newspaper Padasjoen Sanomat got also interested and wrote an article about my demonstration and about my past and future plans as an archer. 

Because I'm living far away from all the existing archery clubs I'm seriously considering establishing my own club here in my home village. But IF something as important as that will be actualizing I'll write more about it then. Now I just have to practise myself first...

[emmaelina]

Archery is always archery

I think that every type of archery is fascinating. I spent last Saturday in Verla (Finland) in an event called Verlan aika, Age of Verla (English translation by me). Some periods of prehistory like Stone Age and Viking Age as well as Middle Age were represented in the event with the ancient folk music, clothes, jewelry, tournaments and knights, etc.

There was e.g. fighting performance by the Viking combat team Wolves of Faravid. The performance was entertaining and there were couple of archers as well :)

Also, there were some fancy traditional Hun bows for sale. I would like to buy one but unfortunately I can't because I have to save money to buy new arrows for my recurve bow first.

Me inspecting two arrows made in the style of Stone Age, the other with an arrowhead of flintstone and the other of bone. Nicely done! Too bad it didn't come into my mind to ask if I could try the bow...

[emmaelina]

There has been amazing opportunity for all the archers to follow the incredible shooting during this week. So check out this channel!

Also, Olympic Games seem always to motivate at least my own archery exercise. There have been so many inspiring matches and so many things to learn just by watching and enjoying the competition.

After all, all the world's best archers are gathered together in London...

[emmaelina]

Archery Media Training (by archerytv). Something to learn :)

[emmaelina]

Olympic Games will begin!

On the web page of World Archery on http://www.archery.org is an interesting piece of news about archery with the title "The Greatest Olympic Games in Archery’s History?" Too bad there are no Finnish archers in the London Olympics :(

Actually there were high hopes several years ago in Finland and even a program called Target 2012 was established to get a complete team to London. Obviously the program failed. But hopefully the leaders of the group will analyze what happened and learn to do it better next time, so that the new group Target 2016 would succeed better...

However, there are better things to do than mourn the failure: there will be many outstanding performances from 27th August onwards... See http://www.london2012.com/archery/ 

[emmaelina]

"If Jennifer Lawrence looks confident and composed shooting a bow in the movie, "The Hunger Games" this spring, it's because she's had some Olympic-caliber coaching."

I haven't seen the movie though, and probably won't in the near future. Hopefully the movie helps increase the popularity of archery!

[emmaelina]

Top archery performances soon to come!

[emmaelina]

Looking for a new archery practice plan

Today was my third archery practice session after my new start. Although starting again is challenging I noticed that I have now a certain freedom to think everything anew and act anew.

In winter I spent a lot of time to modify a suitable daily plan for my archery practice. My goal was to achieve a good time management and to find time for everything else that I had to do at home and work. The schedule was ambitious and probably too tight because I was constantly tired and more and more unmotivated. Obviously it didn't work... Hence, now I'm looking for a new daily practice plan which would suit me the best.

Because I live on a farm in the countryside and far away of certain town activities, I sometimes have to act differently comparing to 'city archers'. Today e.g. I replaced weightlifting and jogging with weeding and clearing the huge yard and future garden of mine. Actually, it sounds a bit old-fashioned but it's the only way I can do it at the moment without exhausting myself. Let's try it then!

[emmaelina]

My first field archery experience in Autumn 2010, in the forests of Sippola (Finland). Not a perfect archery performance yet but shooting in a good mood anyway!

[emmaelina]

Field archery in a good company

Today I spent my Saturday at field archery camp in the forests of Sippola (Finland) where the members of national field archery team of Finland had their camp before the World Archery Field Championships which is held in France this year. I always consider it as a the privilege to practice with them together: they are so good!

The track in Sippola is very demanding, hence it was a challenge for me, who just started shooting again on Tuesday... It was even a year ago when I last time was practising field archery outdoors.

Also, the sizes of angles in Sippola track are outstanding - and very difficult, especially since my companions seemed to choose the most challenging targets with the biggest angles...

But weather was good as was the company. In addition, the blueberries were ripe and there was plenty of them in the forest to eat while waiting for your turn...

[emmaelina]

The first training session in my own yard after the break. For my start, I chose one of the rare beautiful days in this summer when it didn't rain cats and dogs... 

[emmaelina]

Today it was a good day to start again!

After a break of over 3 months I decided to start shooting the bow again. I had - and maybe still have - an enormous lack of motivation after my father died this April. So I quit. However, the life wasn't the same without archery. So I took my bow, went to my yard and started shooting. Couple of shots only. How come you feel like forgetting the whole process in only 3 months?! However, it was relaxing. Wish me luck for my new start!