Olympians to speak with students, archery program

ONEIDA » The Oneida Family YMCA, in collaboration with Oneida Heritage Sales and Retail, welcomes Paralympic archer Sammi Tucker and five-time Olympian Khatuna Lorig to the area in late April and early May.

The Y reached out to Mohawk Valley Community College and Clear Path for Veterans in Chittenango to partner on a workshop and presentation for Paralympic archer Sammi Tucker. Tucker, an 11-year veteranof theUSAirForce who has one arm, shoots with her teeth in Paralympic competition nationally. She is also a highly sought after national speaker.

She will speak to nearly 300 students at MVCC on Friday, April 27. Tucker will also visit the YMCA’s archery program at Oneida Heritage on Saturday, April 28, at 9 a.m. Veterans from Clear Path for Veterans will join in on the presentation, learn to shoot, and interact with the kids.

Oneweek later, the Ywelcomes Khatuna Lorig, one of the most prominent Olympic archers in the US. Lorig is also well-known for training actress Jennifer Law-

rence for the Hunger Games films.

Lorig will visit Oneida High School’s ninth and tenth graders on Friday, May 4 at 1 p.m. on behalf of the Y and share her inspirational story of overcoming bullying as a child to become one of Ameri- ca’s elite athletes. She then visits Oneida Heritage and the Y archery program for a clinic and character development presentation on Saturday, May 5 at 9 a.m. She will speak to the kids and parents enrolled in the program about the Y’s character values of responsibility, empathy, personal development, emotion management relationship building and help students with shot develop- ment, sharing her Olympic experiences.

The Y began archery instruction for children and adults of all ages in January, holding its classes at Oneida Heritage Sales & Rental, Sherrill, in what has become a growing and developing program. There are now 40 children and adults registered for the spring session.

Theworkshops are a part of the YMCA’s Character Development and Education Through Archery Program. All instructors are Level 1 or greater USA Archery instructors and have gone through child abuse prevention, Listen First, Principles of Program Management, Safe Sport and other YUSA training certifications.

For more information regarding the archery program, visit www.ymcatrivalley.org.

WWW.SAMMITUCKER.COM Paralympian Sammi Tucker will speak at Mohawk Valley Community College on Friday, April 27, followed by a visit to the Oneida YMCA’s archery program at Oneida Heritage on Saturday, April 28, at 9a.m.

REBECCA BLACKWELL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Khatuna Lorig of the U.S. gives a thumbs up after receiving her gold medal for women’s individual archery, at the Pan Am Games in Toronto, Saturday. She will speak with Oneida High Schools tudents on Friday, May 4, at 1p.m., followed by a visit the...