CORPUSTY archer Abbie Fisher, 14, has the perfect training partner to compete amongst her national peers. Older brother Jamie is a former junior national champion at the same recurve bow discipline who has now graduated to the GB junior squad.

CORPUSTY archer Abbie Fisher, 14, has the perfect training partner to compete amongst her national peers.

Older brother Jamie is a former junior national champion at the same recurve bow discipline who has now graduated to the GB junior squad.

Younger sibling Abbie, a Reepham High School student, is already part of the national talent identification programme after impressing in county junior circles.

She is a member of Fakenham Bowmen and of the Norfolk and GB development squads.

'I first started when I had a go at the sport at a taster event about four years ago,' says Abbie. 'Then I decided I wanted to join a club a year after my brother Jamie first started.

'It helps as we can train together. I like the fact that you can be as competitive as you like to be and still have fun. You shoot with all ages too and I shoot a recurve bow.

'A good archer requires perseverance, commitment and support from family and friends.

'I usually do a mixture of shooting and strength and conditioning gym sessions but in an average week I train 20 hours.

'A complete starter kit would cost between �100 to �200. This would include your arrow holder (quiver) and all accessories.

'You can compete with these bows or you can borrow bows when you are a member of a club. Olympic bows cost around �1,000 plus.'

The hard work paid off after successfully being accepted into the national talent pool.

'I had been doing lots of competitions and so I put an application in to Archery GB, I then got invited for trials and have since been accepted.

'This now means I attend monthly camps at Lilleshall in Shropshire where I have a coaching and strength and conditioning training schedule.

'I also have to send in monthly reports and diaries about my progress and training plan at home.

'It is hard work and tiring at times and I have to show that I am progressing and keeping to the training required but I felt thrilled to have been accepted.'

The Reepham HS pupil is now targeting more international exposure after shooting at the Europa Cup in Italy in May.

'I would like to shoot more international competitions, and improve my performance,' says Abbie. 'I would like to become world champion and to get to the Olympics.

'My best competition to date was last summer when I broke a county record set in 1988 with a personal best in Exmouth.

'I didn't really have any expectations beforehand but I felt that I had shot well afterwards.'

Her honours include: first - Southern Counties metric competition, fifth - National Junior Outdoors (U18s) metric round, fifth - National Junior Outdoor (U16s) Bristol round.

Her proudest achievements are being selected to shoot at the Europa Cup in Italy and finishing second at the Southern Counties championships and breaking a county record which had stood since 1988 by Joanne Franks.