SAN ANTONIO — Our good friends at Kinetic Kids continue to help kids with physical limitations still compete at some of the highest levels.
And this week their extreme sports division is sending to two para-archers to the world tournament in Chicago!
"The good archer won’t worry about the arrow they just shot," said head coach Roger Koss. "They are only going to worry about the arrow they are about to shoot. They are gonna be the youngest para-archers in the world."
Kinetic Kids is sending two adaptive athletes to the competition that starts on Friday.
"It is gonna be a new experience for me," said Ephraim Tonn-Bourg. 'I’m going to be pretty nervous because there are going to be like big people, pro people, and I’m going be the youngest one."
"It is just recent in the last couple of years that there was actually a division for kids to be classified and compete amongst their peers in their own category," said Coach Koss.
The San Antonio area adaptive youth have been getting some wisdom, too, from one of the best!
"When I first started here I told one of the kids why don’t you shoot in a tournament," asked two time Paralympian Lia Coryell. 'It doesn’t have to be a para-tournament. And he said because everybody will look at me. I said everybody is looking at you anyway. Make it worth it. Show 'em! That kid was Ephraim. That’s the thing about archery is that it is such the mindful sport because you can only worry about the arrow that you have in your belt. Both Jordan and Ephraim have that kind of focus."
Ephraim echoed that thought.
"That’s what I’m hoping for. That is what I’ve been practicing for," he said.
This week is not necessarily about winning, but more about getting their name on the world and international scene.
"That's key," said Coryell. "Just think about sponsorships. Just the whole pressure, the timing, the field, it is next level. And both of them will rise to the occasion because they are both fully capable of that."
Ephraim and Jordan, the two adaptive para archers that will compete, will travel to Chicago this week with practice on Thursday and competition beginning on Friday.
