Vanessa Lee: The Archery Insider
An In-Depth Journey Into the Archery World with Vanessa Lee
Hello, Archery Family! Welcome to the Archery Parent Podcast blog.
In this episode, the first of three episodes we released as part of our launch, we had the privilege of speaking with Vanessa Lee, a former Canadian national team member and a key figure of the World Archery Communications Team. Listen to Vanessa's episode on our Episodes page or wherever you listen to podcasts.
What made this episode special for me is that Vanessa was the first to say “YES”. She said yes to the idea, objective, and mission of the Archery Parent Podcast. She said yes without fear and without knowing what was to come. She trusted me. She believed in me. She has been steady in her support and encouragement.
(Vanessa: As a small token of my deepest gratitude, you are Episode 1, to kick it all off, with my many thanks.)
From her early beginnings to her invaluable insights into the Archery community, Vanessa offers a unique perspective on what it takes to support and nurture an Archer’s passion. Here’s a comprehensive recap of our conversation with her. Please scroll down for a full transcript.
Early Beginnings in Archery
Vanessa's journey into Archery began quite serendipitously in 2004. While visiting family in Korea during the Athens Olympics and being stuck inside due to a typhoon, she discovered Archery on TV.
"I decided, Ooh, I want to start Archery because it was on TV. And I never looked back since," Vanessa explained. At just 15 years old, she found herself embarking on a path that would shape her life.
Finding Support and a Coach
One of the unique aspects of Vanessa's story is how she navigated her way through the initial stages of Archery. In Korea, she frequented an internet café to devise a business plan to buy her first bow. Upon returning to Canada, it all fell into place.
"My parents were completely supportive. They took me to an Archery shop. There happened to be a flyer on the wall for an Archery coach. And that's how I got started."
Training in Korea and Overcoming Challenges
Vanessa's dedication took her back to Korea multiple times for training. She shared the profound impact these training sessions had on her technique and mindset.
"I liken Archery to learning a language. You can learn it wherever, but if you're really immersed in it, you're eating, breathing, just thinking about Archery all the time, that's when it really sticks to you."
However, the transition back to Canadian coaching wasn't always smooth, as the methods she learned in Korea differed significantly. It was an experience that required her to adapt and blend different styles of training.
Facing Criticism and Moving Forward
Vanessa also talked about a pivotal moment when a coach questioned her dedication to Archery.
"He said to me one day, on the field, I think it was at a World Cup, 'Why are you doing this? You could be better at other things.'"
This comment, although hurtful, fueled her determination to prove herself and continue growing in the sport.
Transitioning to the World Archery Communications Team
After stepping back from competitive Archery, Vanessa transitioned to a behind-the-scenes role at World Archery. She vividly described her experience starting in 2017 during the World Championships in Mexico.
"They had me doing all sorts of jobs, creating content, and they had me doing the live commentary. I didn’t ever expect to do that. It was incredible."
Vanessa’s vibrant personality and deep understanding of the sport brought a new dimension to the commentary, making her a beloved figure in the Archery community.
Memorable Moments and Favourite Events
Reflecting on her experiences, Vanessa highlighted some unforgettable moments from her commentary career, particularly the Berlin World Championships in 2023.
"The Berlin World Championships was memorable for so many reasons and I think there were some main characters, you know, Mete, of course. I think the other main character was the weather. It was just incredible."
She also recounted the epic match between Mete Gazoz (Türkiye) and Eric Peters (Canada), noting the intense competition and unpredictable weather.
Supporting Archers Beyond Coaching
Vanessa emphasized the importance of support systems beyond just technical coaching, highlighting her own experiences with friends and family.
"Friends are awesome. My parents always supported me financially, emotionally, and by just being there."
She underscored the value of having a supportive network, which is crucial for an Archer's growth and stability.
Final Thoughts
Wrapping up our conversation, Vanessa shared some profound insights into the life lessons Archery can impart.
"I think who we are as people and the lessons we learn from Archery is more important than anything we’ll ever achieve in the sport."
Our deep dive with Vanessa Lee reveals the multifaceted nature of Archery and the immense dedication it requires. From her early days as a passionate young Archer to her influential role in World Archery, Vanessa’s journey is a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and the importance of a robust support system.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and insights from the Archery Parent Podcast. For more episodes, visit [archeryparentpodcast.ca](http://archeryparentpodcast.ca). Remember, we’re doing this one arrow at a time.
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Transcript
Introduction:
**Manisha:** Hello, Archery Family. I'm Manisha and welcome to the Archery Parent Podcast.
What you need to know to best support your archer. Archery life can come at you quickly and there are often a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers. We are here to change that. We will share tips, how to's, and what to expect to help you navigate your new Archery lifestyle.
You'll hear from other Archery parents, coaches, and Archers themselves. We are going to do this one arrow at a time.
Episode Start:
**Manisha:** Hello, Everyone and welcome to the Archery Parent Podcast. I'm Manisha. This is what you need to know to support your Archer and their passion. Today, our guest is Vanessa Lee.
Now, you may not know her from around the range. However, if you've watched World Archery Events, you have probably seen or heard her. Vanessa, welcome. How are you?
**Vanessa:** Thanks so much for having me. I'm great. How are you?
**Manisha:** Good. Thanks. Vanessa, I just wanted to share with everyone who's watching a little bit about you and where you started. You were a former Canadian national team member and you did compete on the world stage. You were at the Pan Am Games. What year was that?
**Vanessa:** That was in 2017 in Guadalajara.
**Manisha:** And you have done various World Archery, World Cup events.
**Vanessa:** Yes, actually, just correction, it wasn't 2017, it was before that, I think maybe 2011, but I have been to many World Cup events, both as an athlete and in different roles now.
**Manisha:** You were also representing Canada at the World Archery Championships.
**Vanessa:** Yes, I've been to a few as an Archer.
**Manisha:** Where people might actually know you is as a team member of the World Archery Communications Team, and most notably, we saw you in Berlin.
**Vanessa:** Berlin, that was just earlier this year for the World Archery Championships, and it was probably one of my favourite events I've ever been to.
**Manisha:** That's amazing. So we're going actually get to that. What was it like at the beginning? How old were you? And what was the community like back then?
**Vanessa:** So, I started Archery in 2004. I just happened to be visiting family and friends in Korea at the time. And 2004 was when the Athens Olympics were on. I was actually stuck inside watching TV because there was a typhoon outside. I decided, Ooh, I want to start Archery because it was on TV. And I never looked back since.
Back then, Archery was not as much in the media or movies, you know, we probably saw Legolas. That was what we were most familiar with for Archery. These days we have Katniss, we have Hawkeye, all these different characters who are Archers, but back then it was a little bit more niche. That's when I got started. I was 15 years old at the time.
**Manisha:** How did you go about finding a place to shoot, a coach? You know, how did you move forward on that?
**Vanessa:** You know, it's kind of a funny story because like I said, I was in Korea, and so they have these little internet cafes and I went there one evening and I came up with a business plan for myself because I was traveling first time away from home and I decided to stop spending all the money my parents gave me and I said, okay I'm gonna save all the rest of this money to buy a bow. I had figured out how much it costs online and then as soon as I came home, I'm like, okay, this is what I'm going to do. And so my parents were completely supportive. They took me to an Archery shop. There happened to be a flyer on the wall for an Archery coach. And that's how I got started. It was very grassroots at the time, but I started to progress from there.
**Manisha:** When you were in Canada, who was your coach?
**Vanessa:** Yeah, I had a few coaches, like I said, very grassroots when I started. My first coach, his name was Maciej Karlowski. And then I met the One and Only Joan MacDonald...
**Manisha:** Yes.
**Vanessa:** ...who has been such a huge, huge part of my life in and outside of Archery. She was my primary coach for most of my Archery career. And then I had one more coach when I went to Korea and I trained overseas.
**Manisha:** And how long did you spend in Korea?
**Vanessa:** I went there three separate times. The first was two weeks. The second time and third time were both six months.
**Manisha:** I have heard of Archers who take time out from competing, they go abroad, and they just immerse themselves in that, not only the culture, but in the sport, and then they come back and they kick butt. Is that something you found with you too?
**Vanessa:** You know what, I liken Archery to learning a language. You know, you can learn it wherever, but if you're really immersed in it, you're eating, breathing, just thinking about Archery all the time, that's when it really sticks to you.
And it's interesting because the second and third time that I went to Korea, I took very different approaches. The first time I went, I learned technique and worked really hard, but I came back and it didn't work. It was almost like the longer I spent in Canada, the more I forgot. The second time I went, I really just started from scratch. And when I came back, it was almost like it was more in my bones, the things that I had learned. So I've experienced two very, very different experiences going to Korea abroad and, and learning Archery. And I would highly recommend the second. I had a lot more longevity, I think, with what I had learned.
**Manisha:** I've got two questions to follow up here. How did you even find somebody in Korea that was willing to coach you? And, then the second, as you said, coming back, it was in your bones. However, if there was an issue, how did the Canadian coaches help you with that form?
**Vanessa:** Yeah, I will, I'll answer your second question first just because it's at the forefront of my mind. But that was really a challenge, because again, like learning a foreign language, you can learn it somewhere and then come back, but who's going to really help you with that unless they speak that same language? And, so I learned Archery from Koreans, and the way they taught it to me was quite different from what I had learned here. So then that was really a struggle with my coach Joan, who, who was amazing, but I learned differently from what she was used to.
So then, all I could really go off of was what I learned, what I remembered, and so as much as I learned when I was in Korea, it was really hard to maintain that because I didn't have that same pair of eyes that could notice the changes or could understand what what my form was about.
To answer your first question, it, this was kind of a funny story too. I was at my first ever international event in 2008. It was the University World Championships in Taiwan. And I had shot so poorly in the ranking round that I ended up shooting against first, the first place Archer in the second round. And at the time she wasn't really anybody whose name would, you know, strike fear in anyone's eyes, but she ended up becoming Chang Hye Jin. So, 2016 Rio two-time gold medalist and you know, she's done really really well for herself.
**Manisha:** Yes.
**Vanessa:** We shot against each other. We really hit it off and her coach saw something in me, or I don't know, she liked my personality or maybe she just felt really bad that I shot so poorly, but, she invited me to come to Korea, and she is also a very, very important person to me to this day.
**Manisha:** That is an amazing story. Oh my gosh.
**Vanessa:** Yeah, Chang Hye Jin and I ended up becoming roommates, and so I know a lot of stories about her. She's an incredible person, on and off the Archery range.
**Manisha:** That is so cool. Oh my gosh. Let's talk a little bit about the Archery community, you as an Archer, but support. So, you mentioned your archery coaches, but can we talk support outside of that. So, parents, friends, what did you need as an Archer outside of just training?
**Vanessa:** Hmm, that's a great question. And I recognize that this is the Archery Parent Podcast, so of course, we should talk about this.
I'll start with my friends. And friends are awesome, you know? They might not understand it, but they'll think it's cool. Like, whatever you're doing. And that's a really good friend if they can kind of cheer for you. So my friends didn't really understand Archery, but they thought that me traveling or working towards something was really awesome. And, so they kind of just supported me in whatever way, just by showing interest.
My parents, I was, I was really, really fortunate. And I recognize a lot of my teammates or people I competed against may have not been as fortunate. But my parents, ever since I was young, if I was interested in something, they would support me in, in whatever ways they could. And when it came to Archery, I think they recognized that this was different. I've had a lot of interests growing up, but I was really dedicated to Archery. So they said, okay, let's go. As long as you are having fun and you want to do this, then we'll support you. And so the ways that they supported me was financially, emotionally, and you know, by just being there, and maybe there's more subtle ways that we can get into, but they were there for me in many ways.
I would say that when I started Archery, I always wanted to compete at the highest level and that was my dream. I saw Archery on the Olympics and so that was my goal starting. When it changed was when I realized maybe I actually could do this and I think from my parents' perspective, when I think about it, I don't know if a lot changed about their support. It was always about whether I was having fun and wanted to do it. And, so my goals in the end were up to me and it didn't dictate how they were going to support me. They were supporting me fully, whether I was, what my dream was to, you know, shoot for fun in the backyard or to one day shoot at the Olympics. Because I think they realized that was my dream and they can support me in whatever. That wasn't going to dictate what they had to and like, shouldn't do. They just want to support me.
**Manisha:** Can you look back and does anything come to mind where you heard parents, friends, or family members say something, not necessarily to you, but did you ever overhear anything that you were like, why would they say that? Or, how could they say that to their Archer? Did anything come to mind that you think, okay, okay. If my parents said that, that would not be cool.
**Vanessa:** Having gone to international tournaments and being Korean, it allowed other Korean coaches to feel some sort of, like, parental bond with me, or I think they saw their children in me in some strange way. And there's a coach who is still a very, very prominent coach internationally. And I remember he said to me one day, on the field, I think it was at a World Cup, he's like, why are you doing this? Honestly, I won't hide it. I was not going to win medals. I wasn't at that calibre. I wasn't really there to compete. I was almost just like a participant. So he's like, why are you doing this? You could be better at like other things. And, he saw that I had other passions too. It really hurt, because I didn't care about other things. This is what I wanted to do, even though I wasn't the best at it. So that, that was really hard. But in retrospect, I can see maybe it came from a good place. But at the time, maybe the delivery wasn't the greatest.
**Manisha:** And how did you move forward from that?
**Vanessa:** At the time, I really turned it into some fuel for the fire. I was like, I'm going to show you next time. And maybe it helped a little bit, maybe it helped me do, you know, the extra sets or reps at the gym, it kind of pushed me a little bit harder. It did hit really deep where I'm like, does he see something that I don't see? Am I, you know, a little bit over my head with all of this? So I, I can't tell you exactly how it affected me at the time. Maybe it helped a little bit, but it did maybe cast some doubt into what I was doing. Yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't easy to deal with.
**Manisha:** Did you tell anyone? Did you talk about it with anyone and move forward that way? Or did you just sort of keep it in and, as you said, you know, use it as fuel? But did you get over it quickly? What did you do with that, in addition to what you said?
**Vanessa:** I have talked about it with my coach who's in Korea, and she kind of just gave me some context. She's like, you know what, he's going to say things like that, and you can't really let it weigh you down. Your journey is your journey, and it's not gonna change based off of what someone tells you you should do. And so that was really helpful but over the years, you know, I've come to realize that not everybody is going to say exactly what you need to hear. And so you can't control that. You can't control what someone else says to you. You can only control your own reactions to it. And so, I mean, I think I've taken that experience, learned from it, and it can apply to so much more outside of Archery.
**Manisha:** Eventually, you decided to step back away from being an Archer, however, you did not shy away from the community, the Archery community at large. Tell us the next stage of your Archery career.
**Vanessa:** Yeah. So I decided to stop shooting competitively around 2015, 2016. It's a fuzzy line because, I mean, Archery pulls you back in weird ways. It was 2017 when I was really missing my Archery friends internationally. And up until then, I had been doing some work just behind the scenes for World Archery. So some videos that you might see that had a Korean interview, I was translating that from home or doing things like that.
And, so I was really missing my friends. The 2017 World Championships were coming up in Mexico and I messaged my contact from World Archery and I said, Hey, I have a deal for you that you don't want to miss up on. I said, pay for me to come and work for you. Just pay for my flight, pay for my accommodations, I will work for you for free. And give me whatever jobs, I just want to see my friends. And they said okay. So I went to the World Championships in 2017.
They had me doing all sorts of jobs, creating content, and they had me doing the live commentary. I didn't ever expect to do that. It was incredible and actually, Chang Hye Jin, that I mentioned, she was at that World Championships. I think it was maybe one of the last ones that I saw her at and that's how it got started. Since then, I've been to, I think, three World Championships for Communications team, several World Cups, and a few World Cup Finals.
**Manisha:** One of the first times I remember hearing you as a live commentator, you were getting so excited, you brought an energy and a reality and you were saying what the people at home were saying out loud, but no one else could hear, but you were saying what they were all thinking. Let's talk a little bit about behind the scenes of a World Archery event. Can you talk about the spectacle versus the reality? What are the things that you see behind the scenes?
**Vanessa:** Hmm. Yeah, spectacle versus reality is kind of a funny thing because we're putting on a show here, you know, and we're trying to tell a story. Everything that we do in Communications is telling stories. So the reality is, is that it's not always glamorous. You get the people who are at the top of the podium who have these incredible journeys to get there. But the reality is, is that you also have hundreds of Archers who also have incredible stories, but we'll never get there. So that's the reality of it. But the spectacle is great too. And that's not to take away from the stories and the people's journeys, but there's really different sides when you go internationally, I think.
**Manisha:** We're going to mention the Berlin World Championships, which you were doing behind the scenes. You were there with, I don't know if it was a selfie stick or something, but you were right up close and personal.
**Vanessa:** Yeah, my goodness. The Berlin World Championships was memorable for so many reasons and I think there were some main characters, you know, Mete, of course. I think the other main character was the weather. It was it was like a movie. It reminded me of the Truman Show, you know when like Jim Carrey's trying to get away and then like the producer, he just like turns on the [rain], it was like that. It was just incredible, so it was unpredictable, it was hot, then it was cold, then it was raining, then it was windy, it was everything, and it really created some great stories.
**Manisha:** How do Archers deal with weather like that? It's almost like, you know, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes because it'll change.
**Vanessa:** Yeah. Yeah, you can. You have, you know, 20 seconds to shoot, right? And all you can think is that your opponent's shooting in the same weather. Everyone's on an equal playing field unless, I mean, it's starting and stopping only when you're shooting, which doesn't happen. But you're all shooting on the same line in the same weather. So then it really becomes like a mental game. How well are you able to execute your shot, stay focused, stay calm and collected in the same circumstances that your opponent is in as well.
**Manisha:** We'll talk about Eric Peters, Canadian Eric Peters, who went on to win the silver medal, and the match against Mete was incredible. That was leading up your commentary, you were showing the weather, you were showing what they were dealing with, and I did message you after, or during, while you were there just saying like, you're doing such an amazing job and you were bringing it to us in a very different way that allowed us to really get invested with everything, so I guess on behalf of a bunch of people, thank you for doing that.
**Vanessa:** Oh, thank you.
**Manisha:** Tell us about that match between Mete and Eric.
**Vanessa:** I always think the final match of a competition is really interesting, the gold medal match, because you're there. You've done all the work, and I don't know if at that point, if there's really anything to lose, or if there's everything to lose, if you know what I mean. Because at that point, you're at the World Championships in the Finals, you're either World Champion, or you're not. But on the other side, on the flip side, you are in the finals of the World Championships, what do you have to lose? Right? So, there's two ways to see it, and I think both archers shot like they had nothing to lose. I think that's what made it such a great match.
And, thank you for saying that I brought content or perspective that you hadn't seen before. I felt really great at that competition because I felt so free and able to, you know, tell stories in the way that felt really authentic to me. And when I did commentary and you felt like that, was exciting. I really appreciate that too because that was authentically me. So this is, that was completely Archery through my eyes and how I like to see it. And what can I say, like, if they put on a great match like that, there's no work that needs to be done. You just kind of need to bring content through, through the way that I see it. And it was a really, really awesome match. I'll never forget it.
**Manisha:** We could feel and hear your excitement, your love, and your passion for the sport. Any favourite moments from the World Archery Championship in Berlin, but also from your World Archery correspondence experience?
**Vanessa:** There's one moment that I will never forget, and that was the 2019 World Championships in Den Bosch ['s-Hertogenbosch], Netherlands. And Brady Ellison needed a perfect ten. He went into a one arrow shoot off to win the World Championship title. He had won pretty much everything before. And that was the last kind of title that he was looking for. Obviously he's still looking for maybe the Olympic champion, but we're not there yet. And he shot a perfect 10. It was such a show. That's one of my best memories.
Another one that I'll never forget is Aditi Swamy from India and she's so young and so calm and collected. She put on an incredible show at the World Championships this year in Berlin and just her smile after. It was almost like she had just, you know, won anything else because she was just so modest about it. But I think she was very happy.
**Manisha:** It is incredible. And really, India has become such a powerhouse on the compound side. These athletes that are coming out of there are really unbelievable. I might be a little bit biased. Yeah, I mean, but, but it's there for everybody to see for sure.
**Vanessa:** Yeah, well Sergio is doing incredible things with the team and it really shows.
**Manisha:** I don't know if you know, but can you talk about why the Indian team decided to make that coaching move?
**Vanessa:** I don't know Sergio in particular, or I don't know why they would choose Sergio in particular. Actually, you know what? Like, he's Sergio Pagni. Like, of course they would choose him. There's no question. I don't know why they outsourced, but I think this is something that we're continuing to see in the world of Archery. A lot of countries were hiring Korean coaches because they had done so well in recurve. Hiring a compound coach is a little bit newer, and it's really nice to see because there hasn't been a lot of funding internationally for a compound because it's not in the Olympics yet. It's really interesting to see that more countries are putting more of a focus on compound and Korea hiring Reo Wilde or India hiring Sergio Pagni and it's really good for the sport. I think it's going to push compound even further.
**Manisha:** Yes, definitely. And with them being in the Pan Am Games, you know who knows what will come next for them? Speaking of what's next, do you mind just running through what is next on the World Archery stage? Meaning we're heading into the Olympics for 2024. And just talking about quotas as much as you know and can share. Canada has one quota spot for men on the men's team. We currently do not - and we're actually, before, we're recording this, before the Pan Am Games, I just wanted to say, so at this point we have one men's quota spot. We do not have any women and we do not have a team. So can you just talk about what the Pan Am Games means with regards to quota spots and other opportunities for teams to get spots for the Olympics.
**Vanessa:** Yeah, the Pan Am Games are really important and other competitions around the world are going to be important as well. For example, the Asian Games allowed Korea, the Korean women to get their first Olympic quota spot, which was a big deal. The same thing is going to be happening for the Pan Am Games. So for Canada, we're going to really, really need a spot there, and then other countries are going to be working just as hard. So leading up to the Olympics, there's going to be a few more competitions where countries around the world can try and get their last quota spots for the Olympics.
**Manisha:** And I just wanted to share: so the Pan Am Games are considered a Continental Games where there are quota spots available. So Asian Games, Pan Am Games, those are examples of where quota spots are available. Now, will there be any quota spots during World Cups as well?
**Vanessa:** Not that I know of, sorry. I'm not completely familiar with the process going into Paris. But I think there's a Final Qualifier, if I'm not mistaken where countries have one last chance to earn quota spots before the Olympics. Is that right?
**Manisha:** I believe so. Reece is usually my resource for all of this information too. So I will talk to him for sure about it. Where will we see you? Are you going to be part of the World Archery Communications Team, bringing us stories of athletes from around the world in 2024?
**Vanessa:** I certainly hope so. When it comes to World Archery, I always, always, always love working with them. They're trying to optimize their communications team all the time. And so, I was supposed to have a two-year contract with them and go to every competition. It didn't work out because I have a full-time job. You know, I'm in Canada and I can't do that for two years, but we'll see. I think opportunities come and yeah, I'd love to stay involved.
**Manisha:** Well, we love what you have to offer as a journalist and correspondent and we love what you love and you do such a great job at it. So thank you so much for sharing. Is there anything else that you would like to share for parents? Anything we missed? What would you like to have as a final word?
**Vanessa:** You know what? I just want to put everything into perspective. I think Archery is an incredible sport. I've learned so much, taken a lot from it, but what I've really taken away is not successes or things like that. And that's just me and my career. I haven't achieved a whole lot on the range itself, but even speaking to people who have, Olympic gold medalists and World Champions, they don't define their lives by what they've achieved on the shooting range.
I think they define their lives by who they are outside. And they've learned a lot of lessons from Archery. So I just want to put everything into perspective. As much as Archery is really important to a lot of people, you know, it's just this kind of like, silly little thing that we do. I mean, we stand on a line and shoot sharp objects at targets like 70 meters away or 50 meters away. I've had this conversation with my good friend, Sjef, from the Netherlands, who retired recently. We talk about it all the time, like, what is Archery? Really? What is high performance sport? And it's great. It offers us a lot. And it always sucks us back in, but I think who we are as people and the lessons we learn from Archery is more important than anything we'll ever achieve in the sport.
**Manisha:** Amazing, yeah, it really is. Did you speak with Sjef after Joe Leszner told him on the world stage that he loved him?
**Vanessa:** Yeah, I did. I did.
**Manisha:** What I'm referring to for those of you who may not have been familiar with it, at the World Archery World Championships in Berlin, Joe Leszner, who is the mental performance coach for Canada, was in the box for Eric Peters, and was sharing thoughts and one of those thoughts was "I LOVE YOU, SJEF!" World Archery when they were doing a follow up showed Sjef's reaction when he was doing the commentary of it, was almost like Did I really hear that? And then they started laughing a little bit. You don't need to share too much, but what did Sjef think about that aside from the giggle?
**Vanessa:** Yeah, I spent some time with Sjef after Berlin. I went to visit him and it was really a nice trip to wind down and his reaction was pretty much exactly what World Archery showed, that the parallel video. It was just kind of like, did I hear, and you know, he was there to do a job. He was there to be an impartial colour commentator, and so that's, that's all he really felt about it.
**Manisha:** That's great. Maybe we'll get Sjef on the podcast sometime. Who knows?
**Vanessa:** Yeah, he's a great guy to talk to.
**Manisha:** Before we close out, I have a joke for you, and you don't have to laugh, but I was going to ask you are you into astronomy?
**Vanessa:** Maybe a little? I just, I know I'm a Sagittarius. Why?
**Manisha:** So am I!
**Vanessa:** No way!
**Manisha:** Oh, my gosh. Yes. What did Orion win when he came in second place?
**Vanessa:** What did he win?
**Manisha:** During an archery competition... Sorry, I am the worst at these jokes. What did Orion win when he came in second during an archery competition?
**Vanessa:** I do not know. What did Orion win?
**Manisha:** He won a Constellation Prize.
**Vanessa:** Oh my gosh. It's not, it's not bad.
**Manisha:** No, you know what? There are dad jokes and then there are Archery Parent Podcast jokes. You know, you can decide what you want it to label as.
Vanessa Lee, thank you so much for your time today. And to everyone out there, join us, follow us, subscribe. We are so happy that you joined us today. This is the Archery Parent Podcast, what you need to know to support your Archer and their passion.
Thanks so much. Vanessa, we will see you again.
**Vanessa:** See ya. Thanks for having me.
Outro:
**Manisha:** Thanks for listening to this episode of the Archery Parent Podcast.
This show is for Archery parents by an Archery Parent. You can find more episodes at archeryparentpodcast.ca. While there, sign up for our newsletter and check out our blog. Share this episode with at least one other Archery parent. The Archery Parent Podcast is available in both audio and video formats. If you have questions, ideas, or comments, we want to hear them.
The Archery Parent Podcast is hosted and produced by me, Manisha. Reece Wilson-Poyton and Elissa Foley are our resident Archery consultants and contributors. Fact-checking by Manisha, Reece, and Elissa. Our theme music is The Stranger by Wooden Flowers, Michael Menart & Adam Corey Tenenbaum. Sound production is by ARmedia.ca.
Follow us on social media and YouTube for additional tips, how to's, and what you need to know to best support your archer. I'm Manisha of the Archery Parent Podcast. We're doing this one arrow at a time.
