At a time when everyone is buzzing about bows and arrows and battling for dominance (see: Hunger Games), one of the rising stars of U.S. archery is a San Diego native who spends six days a week training at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center.
Joe Fanchin, of Oceanside, earned individual gold at the 2011 Archery World Cup in Shanghai.
He’s now setting his sights on representing the U.S. in London this summer.
Fanchin, who got his start with toy bows as a child, trained as a teen at Morley Field in Balboa Park.
He attended nearby Saint Augustine High School, then attended USC for engineering and archery.
Once he graduated, he got more involved with the sport.
The bows weigh anywhere from 40 to 50 pounds and are shot 70 meters in Olympic competition.
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Along with the physical demands, Fanchin says strength, technique and mental preparation are key to excel as an archer.
“We try to be as consistent in our thoughts when we’re shooting as we are with our technique,” Fanchin said.
“It’s very difficult to do the same thing if you’re thinking different things.”
Fanchin will learn if he makes the U.S. Archery Team sometime in early June.
