Today I have Casey called who is 13 years old, from Lancaster Pennsylvania.
She's in seven grade going into eighth grade and she shoots Olympic style recurve.
So Casey thank you for chatting with me and let's start with a
simple question. How did you get involved? So my dad and my mother both did archery
from a young age so it was kind of like a family thing and I really started to
enjoy it when I was young so it kind of just happened. And did you start
immediately with Olympic recurve or is that something you worked your way into?
I started with like a just like a stick bow like just that and arrows and I
think my second bow was just a PSE compound like that barely made it 20
yards. So it was it kind of started out really basic so not quite a big recurve
yet. And how long have you been shooting the style? About four or five years.
Tell me what you love most about shooting an Olympic recurve and competing in
competition. Olympic recurve I think it's just a lot more challenging than
compound but I think barebow is a lot more challenging but so it's kind of
an easy medium and I like competition because like I think that most people
underestimate recurve like oh they're not going to shoot good. So you're a yeah
I want to prove them wrong. Awesome and now you've got some pretty
cool goals when it comes into archery as well. I want to talk about those. So let's
talk about the big one first. What's the biggest goal? The big one is to make
the 2020 Olympic Tokyo 2020 team and I think that would just feel like the best
thing ever like. If I just make that I will be satisfied with all my
archery things. I will still shoot after but I think that would just be like the
big breakthrough. What do you think is one of the most important things someone
your age should know if they're wanting to get into shooting recurve?
Don't give up that's like the biggest thing because I've tried like many
different form styles like a lot of coaches and you just have to be like a
coach a person and not give up. Just go with the flow most of the time.
Okay, what's been your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge? Probably shooting against Mackenzie Brown.
Folks we are seeing Mackenzie Brown entering the shooting arena.
This is Casey Kaufhold's hero. She is the sole entry to the US -
excuse me - the Olympic Games from the United States on the women's side this
past year. That was at the Lancaster Archery Classic 2017. That was kind
of like pretty big. That was quite a challenge. What was going through
your head at that time? I was a little bit starstruck. I was like
okay I'm here against Mackenzie Brown and I'm probably like gonna still do well
but like to her it's not gonna like the best. In my head I kept
thinking like I have to do my best and it's going to be a good shot. And you did
yeah you realize was watching and you released some fantastic shots.
Let's talk a little bit, you had your dad there commentating. What does this mean to you
to be able to shoot a match up here on this stage with Mackenzie Brown. How long have
you been waiting for this? Oh about like two years - so a long time. Did that
make you extra nervous. Yeah look like if it was just like an uncle or something
like that that's not like that close to you but it was like my dad so I was like,
"Hi dad." Like when you talk to me like when I was on the podium I got like a
little bit nervous. But I think I kind of got used to it as it went on. Very good.
Okay, let's give Casey a hand. Thank you very much.
Mackenzie nice shooting. Don't start crying on me. -- When you're practicing what's your
general routine? How often do you practice what you do? Okay so I practice
about every day about 100 arrows and usually I start out blank bale which is
when you don't have a target up and you just shoot arrows to feel the shot but
then as the shots start feeling really good, I put a target up. But if
sometimes like if I put a target up I like feel like I have to shoot a 10
because the targets there so if it's not a good shot on the target then I just
take it down and start over. And just shoot blank bail until I get comfortable.
And then I have a lesson with my coach Heather Pfeil once a week so that's
really helpful. Awesome and do you do any sort of like warm-up or preparation or
stretching before you start shooting? So we have like stretched bands just like
go through the shot like normal just with a stretch band get your muscles
warmed up but we also do like stretches like arm circles like stretch out your
wrists. Anything so kind of loosen your arms shoulders. Just to get you relaxed.
With Olympic style curve there's a lot of different competitions you can go to.
Let's talk about some maybe some of the biggest ones and the type. What tell me?
There is outdoor. It's very challenging because you have to shoot a
very far distance like this year most of the year I'll be shooting 50 or 60
meters which is half a football field almost. Yeah that's pretty far so. And you
usually have to shoot in whatever weather conditions. Yeah so yes if it's
raining you shoot if it's windy you shoot. Actually in Alabama Outdoor
Nationals two years ago I had to shoot in like three inch deep mud. Oh wow!
It's kind of a little hard but we all got through it. And now let's talk
quickly about indoors indoors and it's a lot better weather condition.
It's warmer too. - yeah and so indoors you most most of the time you
have to shoot a 40 centimeter target. It's 18 meters, 20 yards away and you
show you three arms around and to a normal 660 arrows through 20 rounds.
and what you like to me more? I actually kind of like outdoors because it's a
little more challenging. And there's a lot of places that you can go travel.
Like this year I'm going to Gator Cup and maybe Michigan for worlds.
If I make the world's team, I get to go to Argentina so that'll be.. Not a bad situation.
So maybe Argentina maybe this year or next year? Yeah and then Tokyo.
That's the dream