Sierra Dean paraphrases a quote from businessman, philanthropist and self-help book author W. Clement Stone.
“Aim for the moon, then if you miss, you’re among the stars.”
The Grade 9 student is constantly taking aim. Dean is a member of the Cowichan Bowmen Archery Club alongside her dad.
She got interested in the sport during a field trip, and returned home to tell her dad Darcy Dean all about it.
“He did it in high school,” she explained. “Now we’re both training to be professionals.”
Dean started as a yeoman and now in her third year, the 15-year-old is already a champion bowman.
Dean won the indoor and outdoor regionals to earn a place at provincials and hopes to hit an international shoot.
She shared her experiences in the sport with her fellow Stelly’s students during a recent assembly. Alongside an archery demonstration, and chat about training, diet and equipment, Dean talked about setting goals for life.
“It’s not only physical but it’s also mental,” Dean explained of the sport. “You train not only your body and muscles, but your mind.”
Her best score to date is just shy of 250, with perfection being 300.
“One of the best moments for me was winning the championship,” Sierra said. “But also seeing your scores improve each time.”