Nancy Elgibily: Being good requires effort

Images courtesy Nancy Elgibily.

Want to see inside the mind of an international archery athlete? We’ll be asking some of the world’s best for advice, expertise and an idea of their approach to the sport. 

This time, 33-year old Egyptian compound archer Nancy Elgibily answers our questions…

1. What makes the perfect archer?

Talent is not enough. Being a good archer requires effort.

2. YOUR ADVICE TO BEGINNER ARCHERS

Quit before it's too late! Jokes apart, enjoy every shot. It's just a game, so enjoy it and don't stress over things.

Practise as much as you can, take it easy, be happy with every personal achievement, set goals, try hard to reach them and believe that you can. Always try to break your best score, step by step.

3. training vs competition

The difference is stress and the fear of not achieving what you trained for. In practice we learn from mistakes, but at competitions we should reduce mistakes as every mistake counts. 

I compete for the love of the sport, hoping that one day it will make a difference in my shooting history. 

4. WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING BACK TO YOUR BOW?

Hope that one day I'll be better than today, that I'll increase my scores, participate in an international competition and achieve for me and my country something I never reached before. 

5. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH DISTRACTION?

We can't really block out distraction, but we can adapt or let it pass and figure out how to minimise it's effect on our shooting. 

6. Who’s your favourite person to shoot with?

My younger sister Hala Elgibily, because she is my best friend, my competitor, my support, my roommate, travelmate, fun-mate and ‘crime’-mate sometimes!

7. Your TOP NUTRITION TIP?

Don't eat much before a competition and keep your body filled with enough fluids. 

8. What's your mental secret?

I do visual training, imagine all my arrows hit the gold and see my shooting form from outside. I also keep saying to myself: ‘Keep trying till the last arrow, you still can get one more 10’.

World Archery’s International Archer Q&A series spotlights some of the sport’s best athletes. Got a question to ask? Contact us via @worldarchery on Twitter.