Right on target
Wagmatcook teen aiming to be the best
Cassandra Paul draws the bow with poise and grace that go well beyond her 14 years.
There is no doubt the animal is doomed.
Then… THUNK!
A direct hit. Two in fact. Luckily for the giant warthog it was not real.
The Wagmatcook teen was competing in 3-D Archery at The Mi’kmaw Summer Games in Eskasoni last month. Cassandra says she has been shooting for as long as she can remember, but this was the year she decided to “get serious,” joining the archery club in Baddeck in May.
Her dedication appears to be paying off. She won a gold medal in her division at the Eskasoni competition, completing the course of 40 targets with a score of 418 points in the recurve barebow category.
The typical archery range is flat, with targets set at exact distances. However, 3-D Archery takes the game into the woods to mimic the experience of bowhunting, though it is not just for hunters. The discipline gets its name from the use of threedimensional animal targets. The course resembles a hiking trail. Shooters move from station to station as a group, with a different animal and scenario at each station. The distance from which you shoot depends on the equipment and age class.
Stephen Kerr, President of The Bras d’Or Archers Association in Baddeck can barely contain his glee when he speaks of Cassandra’s talent and focus. Kerr, who has also been coaching Cassandra, describes her as “extremely dedicated” and “very focused.” Both took part in a 3-D competition at Camp Carter in New Harris earlier this month hosted by The Cape Breton Bowman’s Club.
“Her big motivation was to beat me,”, says Kerr, a bit bemused, “and she did.” Though Kerr points out that Cassandra is still young and still growing, he believes “The opportunities for her are just endless.”
Cassandra is also making waves within the larger sporting community. Wagmatcook Physical Activity Leader Terry Bernard has submitted her name to try out for a place on Team Nova Scotia when Halifax hosts The North American Indigenous Games in 2020. An estimated 6,000 athletes are expected to attend the event. Stephen Kerr says
he believes Cassandra would be “a good ambassador for the sport and also for her community.”
The association held an open house on Sunday at the Baddeck Curling Rink to celebrate the beginning of its fifth season. The club has been quietly gaining momentum, with almost 30 members and more than 150 tourists stopping by to try archery this summer, many for the first time.
Cassandra attends the club with her grandmother, Pauline Isadore, who has become a regular shooter as well, though she says, laughing, “I am really bad.” Cassandra’s mother Tonya, who is “very proud” of her daughter, calls it a “grandmother granddaughter thing.” Pauline describes the competitions as very friendly and supportive.
“You wouldn’t believe the compliments she (Cassandra) gets.”
Pauline also says her shy, quiet granddaughter is a different person when she gets that bow in her hands.
“There’s the shy Cassandra, that can hardly look you in the face. But when she’s up there, she’s like a warrior.”