Anai Lemus
Imperial Valley Archery Club
CALEXICO — About five years ago Anai Lemus took an interest in archery and has loved the sport ever since.
“I wanted to try a unique sport and I remembered seeing it in the Olympics and thought I’d give it a try,” said the 17-year-old.
Since then, the Calexico High School student has competed in a variety of events included competitions within the state as well as others in Mexico.
Last week, Lemus competed in the Desert Open and California Duel Team Trials in Long Beach. It was her fourth time attending the competition, which tested her more than before.
“The first day was pretty bad,” Lemus recalled. “I had never shot from 70 meters before so I didn’t have the same control like
I do in the shorter distances. It was really stressful.”
Despite the shaky start, Lemus came back in the second day of the competition to shoot at her preferred targets of 60, 50 and 40 meters.
Lemus managed to move up in the standings and finished with a first-place finish, securing a place to represent California in the annual Duel in the Desert, which pits California archers against those from Arizona and Baja California.
This is Lemus’ fourth time being selected for the team.
“I was really happy,” Lemus said with a smile. “I was surprised too because I was about 50 points behind and I didn’t know how to catch up, but I did.”
With the win, Lemus will now wait to compete in the Duel in the Desert event on Nov. 11 and 12 in Long Beach. My Favorites Pro athlete Brady Ellison and Aida Roman, Olympic archers
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What do you enjoy most about your sport?
I enjoy that I don’t have any troubles on my mind when I’m competing. When I’m on the shooting line, it’s just me and the arrow. The arrow before and the arrow after don’t matter.
What is one of your more memorable moments in your sport?
Making it to the Junior Olympics earlier this year. My dad and I both cried when I made because it took a long time and a lot of work to get there.
Who inspires you and why?
My parents inspire me because they’re hard workers and I’d have to say my dad especially, because he’s supported me from the beginning and helped me get to a higher level.
What are your goals for the rest of this season?
To practice more and get first place in a competition.