Discreetly, the archery section of the Tonnerre Sports Association is experiencing significant development which is reflected in its results.
It’s a section of the Thunder Sports Association (AST) which doesn’t make any noise, and yet there’s a good laugh there and the atmosphere is friendly. Within the multi-sports club, archery is on the rise and its archers are hitting the mark. For several years, the section has exploded. “In 2018 there were seven licensees and today there are more than thirty,” notes president Stéphane Lebeau.
“We are on very good momentum”
At the start of the school year, new archers joined the shooting range. Olympic Games effect? Not really. This progression predates Paris 2024. It follows a restructuring of the club and the good-natured spirit that is cultivated there. Leisure or competitions, each has its own target; compound bow, recurve bow or bare bow, everything is possible.
In terms of competitors, the results were not long in coming. For several years, Thunder archers have multiplied the departmental and regional podiums. One of them, Théo, was chosen to carry the Olympic flame in Chablis last summer. “We are on very good momentum and we continue to develop,” says the president.
Two defectors
The club attracts. Éric Kaczmarek, federal referee, and his daughter Élodie have decided to wear the Thunder colors this year. These defectors from the Sentinel of Brienon-sur-Armançon add another string to the Thunder bow. “Until now we could not organize competitions, because we did not have a referee,” indicates Stéphane Lebeau. Eric’s arrival will allow us to offer competitions in the coming months, especially since we have very good facilities and partners and sponsors who follow us. Without them and without the City, we could not exist. »
The arrival of Élodie Kaczmarek, who shot at the highest world level among young people, is a plus for the club. “She brings her experience, her approach to archery. And our young people will find a model there. » If adults train on Monday evening and Saturday morning, there is also an archery school which operates every Wednesday afternoon. The section also welcomes two disabled adults who come from the Esat of Cheney and Ravières. “We are not in disabled sports,” explains Stéphane Lebeau. On the contrary, they are perfectly integrated, have no reserved place on the shooting ranges, and everyone is happy. »
In addition to the gymnasium, the archers also have an outdoor training ground that they use during the summer.
