CATCHING UP WITH THE CHAMPS
Thabazimbi – Dr Gary Bauer and Hendrik Johannes (HJ) Swanepoel represented South Africa in Gillingham, Kent, during the 2023 World Indoor Archery Competition (WIAC) in the United Kingdom, from Monday 13 to Friday 17 February 2023.
Both archers brought home gold medals for their respective categories as well as for the team event. Platinum Bushvelder caught up with these two local Robin Hoods to find out more about their journey across the waters. HJ’s love for archery started in 2011 when he went with a friend to a competition.
He told his father that he wanted to pursue archery as a sport because he couldn’t play rugby anymore due to an injury.
For HJ, the highlight about archery is the feeling when the arrow leaves your bow, and you don’t even have to look because you know that you’ve hit the mark. “Travelling to England was a first for me, so the trip was very nice.
I was also very impressed with the venue where the competition took place,” HJ said. When asked about his winning moment, HJ recalled: “The moment I shot that last arrow, I turned around and saw how many people were watching my last shot.
They came and congratulated me, and that was just unforgettable. Seeing my parents and friends, and everyone else’s friends and family waiting outside the airport in South Africa was overwhelming.
The reaction on the Facebook message when I won was just amazing, and I thank each and every person for that. I would also like to thank my family, friends, and sponsors for always having my back and supporting me during competitions.”
Dr Gary Bauer, on the other hand, started bow hunting in 1994 and in January 2022 he was convinced by a friend to take on competitive archery by joining the Thaba Bow Club. “Archery, but more so target archery in the freestyle unlimited class which I partake in, is a combination of skill, ability, bow fitness, mindset and mental conditioning with intense focus.
If any one or more of these are slightly lacking, even for a split second during a tournament, consequences are severe—much like life, isn’t it?” said Dr Gary. He has always viewed it as a privilege to be able to travel abroad. “Just the fact that you can travel to another country is an adventure.
To have been able to share this experience with another Thaba Bow Club member and fellow Protea Archer, HJ Swanepoel, as well as 36 other SA archers made it even more special,” he said. According to Dr Gary, the International Field Archery Association prides itself by being a family of world archers and having competed in the 2023 World Indoor Archery Competition (WIAC), he found this to be true.
The comradery, fun and at the right time, fierce and ultimate competition made this event an unforgettable experience for him. He added that the English Field Archery Association raised the bar as far as organisational logistics, time keeping, and participant satisfaction were concerned.
As a stickler for precision and accuracy, it was only natural that archery would grab hold of him.
“First and foremost, whether one believes or not, undoubtedly the most influence, help and ability I have gained has been from the Almighty,” he said. He thanked his pillar of support, Annie Bauer, his family, friends, and the Thaba Bow Club. On another level, he also thanked those who made his trip to Kent financially possible.
Both archers are already preparing for the 2024 World Field Archery Championship in Brazil. On the road to that goal is the South African National Championships in both field and indoor disciplines in March and May, as well as the African Regional Field Archery Championships in Namibia in June/July 2023. Platinum Bushvelder congratulates both archers for their excellence and wishes them the best of luck going forward—we will be keeping a bullseye on you!
#FosteringASenseOfCommunity