At only 14 years and with just two years of training up her sleeve, Taleigha Barritt is already making her mark in the archery world.
The Saxon Archery Club member has just been named the Queensland Champion for Archery 2018-2019, and it's a feat she wasn’t expecting.
“It was a surprise, I thought I wasn't doing that well,” she said.
But Taleigha has clearly been putting her daily practice to good use, with her passion for the sport shining through and her skill-set improving every week.
Joining the Saxon Archery Club was something the teenager said she had wanted to do for a while.
“I like archery, we did it at school camp once and that's when I wanted to continue,” she said.
“Maybe one day I will become a professional.”
Taleigha's proud mum Melissa said her daughter had put in the hard yards, training daily and finessing her technique.
“She absolutely loves it,” Melissa said.
“She uses six arrows and three different distances twice in training and she is really good.”
Melissa said archery had become a bit of a family hobby, with Taleigha and her father Michael both practising the sport.
“It's definitely a great time for them to bond,” she said.
Saxon Archery Club great for families
Saxon’s Archery Club president Andrew said the father and daughter duo were often seen at the club every week, along with many other families.
“We have about 80 members, ranging from age from 3-80 years old,” Andrew said.
“It’s definitely a very family-orientated sport and in 2019 we celebrated 40 years in Bundaberg.”
Andrew said Taleigha was one of the club’s up-and-coming juniors who showed determination and grit with her willingness to succeed.
“She definitely puts in a good effort and in the latest competition, gained three first place positions and a second,” he said.
“One of those first-place titles was for the Queensland State ABA Titles.
“Most young people don’t show the sort of commitment that Taleigha has when it comes to sport, she is doing very well.”
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