Last but not least in our Meet the Team – Alberta athletes representing Canada at the Youth Worlds:
Riley Warwa
Q: How long have you been doing archery?
A: I’ve been shooting targets in my backyard since I was 4 years old.
Q: What got you started in the sport?
A: My dad got me into the sport since he is also an archer.
Q: This is your first time on the National Team – what are you most excited about or looking forward to?
A: I am excited to wear the Team Canada jersey and meet other archers from around the world.
Q: If you could pick, where in the world would you want your next international competition to be, and why?
A: I would like to go to Italy because it is a beautiful country.
Q: What is the 1 must have snack you have to have when at a competition?
A: Gummy worms.
Next up on Meet the Team is another “veteran” heading to Ireland to represent Canada at the Youth Worlds:
Dawson Molitor
Q: How long have you been doing archery?
A: I started shooting about 6 years ago.
Q: What got you started in the sport?
A: I have always been curious about archery and when my mom asked if I wanted to start a class I said yes.
Q: This is your second time on the National Team – how do you feel that will benefit you heading to Ireland?
A: I think that knowing what to expect is the biggest thing because going into youth and Masters pan American championship’s I had no idea what to expect and that made it harder to focus on my performance.
Q: What 1 piece of advice would you give to a fellow teammate who is representing Canada for the first time?
A: Try to just focus on your performance don’t worry about the logistics. The coaches and sports staff will take care of almost everything.
Q: What is the 1 must have snack you have to have when at a competition?
A: I don’t normally eat while shooting. But my favorite snack is fresh fruit or berries.
Next on Meet the Team – Introducing Madelynn Holkema
Q: How long have you been doing archery?
A: I’ve been shooting archery for a little over 5 years now.
Q: What got you started in the sport?
A: My dad got me a bow for my ninth birthday, since I was showing interest in shooting, because he used to shoot as a kid.
Q: This is your first time on the National Team – what are you most excited about or looking forward to?
A: I am very excited/honoured to meet and shoot along side the worlds best youth athletes.
Q: If you could pick, where in the world would you want your next international competition to be, and why?
A: I would say Korea, because they produce some of the best archers in the world, I would love to see their facilities and training that they go through.
Q: What is the 1 must have snack you have to have when at a competition?
A: I like to eat trail mix and bananas when I’m shooting or really any kind of fruit.
For our next session of Meet the Team, let’s get to know Adam Berge:
Q: How long have you been doing archery?
A: I’ve had a bow in my hands since I was 3 years old and have been going to archery tournaments since I was four years of age. I have been attending both indoor & outdoor 3D events for as long as I can remember. Only in the last 6 years did I start various disciplines of target archery.
Q: What got you started in the sport?
A: My parents are a big part of it, I really enjoyed watching my dad shoot when I was young, and I wanted to participate as well. Today we travel all over the province of Alberta and compete as a family.
Q: This is your first time on the National Team – what are you most excited about or looking forward to?
A: This is my first time on the National team, I am very excited to not only compete internationally but also be a part of Team Canada. I am looking forward to meeting and competing with other archers from all over the world.
Q: If you could pick, where in the world would you want your next international competition to be, and why?
A: If I could pick one place in the world for my next international competition to be, it would probably have to be either in Spain or Italy.
Q: What is the 1 must have snack you have to have when at a competition?
A: My #1 must-have snack would probably be sour patch kids!
We would now like to introduce one of the “veterans” who will be representing Canada next month at the Youth World Championships in Ireland!
Brynnleigh Lohner
Q: How long have you been doing archery?
A: I have been doing archery for 4 ½ years competitively. I shot a little bit for fun at home before that.
Q: What got you started in the sport?
A: I got started in archery through the 4-H program, being coached by my mom. I was successful with archery in 4-H, which encouraged me to attend some local 600s. After about a year of shooting, I joined Jimbows Juniors and I have been a part of the club since. For the first few years that I shot, I only shot indoors. It wasn’t until 2020 during the pandemic that I branched out to outdoors in an effort to try something new and keep myself busy.
Q: This is your second time on the National Team – how do you feel that will benefit you heading to Ireland?
A: I think having been on the national team before has prepared me for my upcoming trip to Youth Worlds. Your first international competition can be a little overwhelming at first because there is so much to take in. There are so many more people, and the environment is so much different than that at any local shoot. Having been to the Youth and Masters Pan American Championships last year in Halifax, I have experienced what it is like to meet and shoot with athletes from other countries, and I will know more about what to expect going into the tournament. This experience also helps me support my teammates, especially those who are attending an international event for the first time.
Q: What 1 piece of advice would you give to a fellow teammate who is representing Canada for the first time?
A: I think the biggest advice I could give to someone representing Canada for the first time is to not put too much pressure on themselves to shoot records or personal bests at this event. Rather, focus on giving all that you can on that day. If that is not your all time best, that is okay, as long as you give 100% of what you can give on that day.
Also, bring lots of pins! Pin trading is a big deal at events like these, and it’s a great way to connect with archers from other countries, even if you don’t speak the same language.
Q: What is the 1 must have snack you have to have when at a competition?
A: I feel like my favourite shooting snack changes frequently, but right now bell peppers or trail mix are probably my favourites.
Next up in the “Meet the Team” and get to know our Alberta athletes who will be representing Canada at the Youth World Championships this July in Ireland is:
Sahil Sahota
Q: How long have you been doing archery?
A: I started shooting about 5 years ago with a beginner compound bow, and I switched to recurve about 4 years ago.
Q: What got you started in the sport?
A: I first wanted to try archery after watching movies like The Lord of the Rings and Hunger Games, and I had the chance to try it at a few summer camps.
Q: This is your first time on the National Team – what are you most excited about or looking forward to?
A: I’m so excited to be able to represent Alberta, and I am most looking forward to meeting archers from around the world and being able to shoot with them.
Q: If you could pick, where in the world would you want your next international competition to be, and why?
A: If I had the choice, I would want my next international competition to be in Spain. I love the architecture and history, and the warmer weather is also a nice bonus.
Q: What is the 1 must have snack you have to have when at a competition?
A: My number one snack when I am at competitions are granola bars. They are quick to eat during breaks, and they’re small enough to fit in a quiver.
Let’s “Meet the Team” and get to know our Alberta athletes who will be representing Canada at the Youth World Championships this July in Ireland!
Introducing our first athlete: Jordyn Polowaniuk
Q: How long have you been doing archery?
A: I have been doing archery since I was seven years old but competitively for three years now.
Q: What got you started in the sport?
A: I got into archery because of my Dad and brother’s enjoyment of the sport while my Mom and I watched them compete from the stands. It looked fun to me – being involved in a sport that was friendlier than the ones I had previously played in. So, I asked my Dad about competitively performing and three years later, here we are.
Q: This is your first time on the National Team – what are you most excited about or looking forward to?
A: I am looking forward to meeting and competing against people from different countries. Even as a kid, I dreamed of being on a team where I could meet and compete with the best-of-the-best. So, being on this team and being able to compete with high-performing athletes is fulfilling a childhood dream of mine.
Q: If you could pick, where in the world would you want your next international competition to be, and why?
A: I would love the opportunity to compete in Chile for my next international competition. I love the Spanish culture, food, and heritage. After competing, I would love to go hiking and explore the country to see its beauty.
Q: What is the 1 must have snack you have to have when at a competition?
A: My absolute must have snack would be candy gummies that have a soft texture. These quiver-snacks are my comfort food and I am known to share them with everyone. My teammates and competitors know me as “The Snack Master”.
Cam Palichuk
Our Athlete Of The Month is Cam Palichuk, the talented archer and avid fisher. Cam has traveled and competed at an abundance of provincial, national, and international events. Earning a gold medal at the indoor 2022 provincials, gold medal at the 2022 youth championships, gold medal at the 2022 Pan American Championship tryouts, has tied a national record for match play, gold medal at the Canada cup, placed top 3 in nationals, placed multiple times in both provincial indoors and outdoors, bronze medal in the team event MICA, he holds the cadet compound 720 record as well as the junior 18m FITA record. While Cam has dedicated a plenitude of time into archery, he is also a devoted fisherman. If Cam is not on the range there is only one other place he’ll be, on the river. While Cam’s career is just started, we look forward to seeing how far he goes, and we wish him the absolute best.
Dean Thorton
Our Athlete Of The Month is Dean Thorton, an extremely accomplished archer. Thornton represents PSE Archery, Nock On, Easton, Gas Bowstrings, Carter Releases, Calgary Archery Center, Maven Optics, CCS Custom Scopes, and AAE Archery. The extensive sponsorship list is not the most impressive part, Thornton is also an 18-time Alberta indoor and outdoor 3D Champion, current Canadian indoor Master Compound Unlimited Champion, past Canadian Master Field Champion, Canadian Record holder for Masters Unlimited Compound in Field, and is currently part of the British National 3D Team. Admirably, Thornton has also participated in the IBO World Championships and The Pro Archery Series in Europe. Thornton would like to give a big shoutout to John Dudly and Alan and Lorna Southwood for their continued support. Although Thornton has extensive experience, his favorite tournaments are The NFAA marked 3D Championships in Redding and the Indoor Vegas Shoot. Despite the lull in archery due to covid, Thornton is optimistic about getting back to archery as he is looking forward to the 2022 outdoor season kicking off at Redding in May. From Thornton himself, “Good luck to everyone this season. Let’s get back to doing what we love.”.
Tricia Oshiro
Our first Athlete of the Month is Tricia Oshiro. The former Stampeder Outrider turned international competitor, representing Canada in the 2014 Indoor World Championship in France, the 2014 PanAm Championships in Argentina, as well as the Outdoor World Championships in Denmark in 2015. This year, Tricia will be once again representing Canada in the 2022 Masters PanAm Championships. Tricias’ demonstrated persistence and dedication has earned her an abundance of sponsorships, including APA, Carter, Shrewd, Pilla, Fast And Female, Errea, Clear Target, Calgary Archery Center and Scorpion Outdoors. While Tricia has repeatedly proven her excellence in the sport, she has faced many adversities, in 2016 Tricia changed from a right-handed, to a left-handed bow due to the realization that she is left eye dominant. “This change was more challenging than I had anticipated, made more difficult because instead of taking the time to learn and train, I continued to compete at national and international competitions. I knew what to do right-handed so all I had to do was the same on the other side, right? Nope! I knew it would take time to get the strength, dexterity, and endurance up on the left side, but I was not prepared for the mental and emotional toll it would take. But in the end, it showed me just how tenacious I could be.”. Recently, Tricia was honored by Lindsay Doyle who has published a book, Strong and Free, focusing on women in sport (check out Lyndsay Doyle and Lyndsay Doyle Photography on Facebook and the hashtags #strongandfree and #superrolemodels). Strong and Free is a 180-page book filled with photographs and firsthand accounts from Canadian women in the world of sports. Doyle has created a compelling and heartwarming book of women of all ages and body types as she believes “you cannot be, what you cannot see” in order to help promote role models for young girls. The well-known Star Wars fanatic, is currently shooting an APA Black Mamba 35 and is coached by Jim Martin. Tricia has been chosen because of her past and present accomplishments (including several medals) as well as an exemplary role model for young female athletes. Tricia’s grace and ambition has brought her so far and we wish for the absolute best for her in the future of the sport.
