To hit the mark you need a body and mind connection. It’s a kind of “mindfulness: being present, here and now”. Maybe this is why more and more women are becoming passionate about archery. The Italians leaving for Tokyo explain it to us
What do we know about archery? We know Diana, the huntress goddess. We know Robin Hood, Obviously. But above all, in recent times, Katniss Everdeen/Jennifer Lawrence, the rebel of the trilogy Hunger Games which struck the collective imagination (and many girls) to the heart
There are bows and arrows in all the new dystopian movies, from Monster Hunter with Milla Jovovich to A Quiet Place 2 (quiet so to speak). There are bows and arrows in the world of superheroes, from Green Arrow to Hawkeye (Hawkeye)
Italy’s archery team at the Olympics is female
But this is not a movie. For the first time, since Seoul ’88 (when the team competition was included in the program in addition to the individual one) the Italy of archery spresents itself with an almost revolutionary novelty. The men’s team failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Only the women’s team remained in the competitionin second place in the world ranking, namely Tatiana Andreoli, Lucilla Boari and Chiara Rebagliati, very young and promising, even if the going is tough
So far, no one has beaten South Korea. which has real stages for archery. An Olympic victory would certainly increase interest in this still niche sport (25 thousand members, of which 7 thousand women) which, seen up close, deserves more careful consideration. Because it seems static, but it’s not. It requires attention, but it is not mathematical (the result does not depend on the hours of training)
Mastery of the gesture counts
The American Khatuna Lorig, five-time Olympic champion, Jennifer Lawrence’s teacher on set, claims that to shoot well you need moderation (not overexerting yourself)
You don’t even need to have extraordinary vision (our athletes are short-sighted), but mastery of the gesture. Competitions aside, it is an extraordinary concentration exercise, which can be used as a stress reliever. Manolo Cattari, a psychologist and psychotherapist who has been working with Fitarco (Italian Archery Federation) for four years, explains: «Someone might think that attention focuses on the target at seventy metres, or on the arrow. Instead, from a mental point of view, the focus is all on oneself. You enter a state of flow. Do something without being aware of doing it, like the scarecrow, who, in fact, scares the sparrows but doesn’t know it. Bombarded by thousands of information, you free yourself, create a vacuum, enter the bubble. I happened to suggest archery as psychotherapy to some patients, and it was helpful
Almost a form of mindfulness: be present, here and now.” Valeria, forty years old, manager, shot her first arrow in 2015 during a friend’s hen party weekend. She says: «When the instructor explained to me how to do it, I felt an unusual sense of calm. I felt every part of my body. If I believed in reincarnation, I would think of a memory of previous lives.” But the past has something to do with it. Cattari says: «Target sports are present in every culture, linked to hunting and war. They cause a form of regression, of contact with our roots. They belong to childhood games.”
Claudia Rebagliati has had a bow in her hand since she was a child
And from childhood comes the choice of Chiara Rebagliati, with a bow in her hand since she was a child. “I started when I was ten,” she reveals. «I was in the car with my parents and I saw a field with shooters, in Savona in 2007. I liked it immediately! The rest came later. I won the Pinocchio trophy for the little ones and continued with the competitions. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I would make it to the Olympics. With this sport, which seems to me to be very suitable for women, you learn to know yourself. You roll poorly if you’re angryif you allow thoughts to interrupt your concentration. Unlike many races, where the push comes from adrenaline, here you have to maintain control, find balance»
For Chiara, who is in her fourth year of law school, «even studying is like shooting. I have one goal: to pass the exam. My preparation is the arrow.” The numbers, still small, grow in proportion to the medals won. They increased with Atlanta 1996 and London 2012. In Rio del Janeiro, in 2016 the women’s team achieved the best result in the history of Fitarco in pink, but unfortunately it was “only” fourth place. If you don’t get on the podium you are not visible. Cattari jokes: «It would take an influencer like Chiara Ferragni to achieve great popularity». Involved, mind, body and heart Yet, a brief tour among the enthusiasts shows that we are faced with a truly democratic sport for everyone. Young and old, disabled and visually impaired, high and low, no one excluded.
Arrows imbued with emotions
The bow is customized, chosen based on the characteristics and needs of the shooter. Once positioned, the technical gesture can also do without sight. The mental coach Silvia Rizzi, pre-Covid, held important seminars on emotional intelligence and the archer’s determination. Yes, arrows are imbued with emotions. «The whole person is involved in the decision-making process, his body, his mind» assures the psychologist-archer Mariella Bruno. «The arrow will go where the body and mind want it to go. Archery reveals personality, is useful for those who suffer from anxiety, for those who have concentration problems and difficulties in decision-making. It is the possibility, given to everyone, to shoot their own arrow in life.” And it’s not just a metaphor
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2021-07-22 07:00:00
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