Marks Park and Zoo Lake archers hit bullseye ahead of Côte d’Ivoire Championships
Carien Whitehead and Connor Young will be looking to combine their precision and purpose as they prepare to represent South Africa abroad.
For archers Carien Whitehead and Connor Young, their steady rise in their chosen sport has been marked not only by precision on the range, but by persistence, faith, and passion for the bow.
Whitehead, from Marks Park Archery Club, began her journey into archery as a bored matric learner back in 2002. What began as a pastime soon became a lifelong pursuit, carrying her through national and international competitions as she represented her country in the African Games and the African Archery Championship.
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Now, holding the Southern Regional Champion in recurve archery, she has overcome more than most to reach the top. During her university years, she suffered a serious spinal injury that inflamed her bow shoulder and forced her to stop shooting entirely. “I couldn’t even drive. Every time I tried to train again, the pain came back.”
Determined to return, she taught herself to shoot left-handed – retraining her eyes, posture, and muscle memory from scratch. “It was the hardest thing. You have to teach your body to aim all over again, but I wanted to come back.”
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She has since claimed several national titles as a left-handed archer, and placed fourth at the 2019 African Games. She now prepares to represent South Africa at the African Championships in Côte d’Ivoire from November 19–25. “Every time I travel with the team, it’s exciting. It’s an honour. All my thanks go to Jesus. Without Him, none of this would be possible.”
Alongside her in Côte d’Ivoire will be Young, of Zoo Lake Archery Club, also eager to show what he has got in his arsenal and his love for bowmanship. His introduction was not inspired by boredom, but by a broadcast. “It was the 2012 London Olympics when I saw Brady Ellison shooting on TV and told my mom: ‘That’s what I want to do’.”
This championship will mark his first international championship, where he will be eager to perform and learn. Every time he draws an arrow, the world becomes very narrow, everything else drowns out, said Connor.
The pair cemented their partnership by winning the Southern Region Mixed Team Championship in April. Both archers will be looking for bring silverware home and fly the South African flag high.
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