Ryan going for bullseye in Bucharest

Posted 9 July 2019

Ryan Pinder, a first year BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering student at Harper Adams, has been selected to shoot for the Great Britain Archery Team at the European Youth Cup in Bucharest.

Ahead of the competition next week, Ryan said: “I’m obviously excited and looking forward to seeing what I can do. It’s not the first time I’ve competed at international level, so I’m feeling confident and prepared. I still have some work to do before leaving, but it’s looking good.”

With aspirations of qualifying to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Ryan will be hoping to impress in the Romanian capital, with the World Youth Championships also coming up in August.

With Harper Adams University being situated in very close proximity to the National Training Centre for Archery in Lilleshall, he’s found the University a great place to balance his studies with training.

“I can pop over for practice or gym work which has been indispensable to my current success. Furthermore, the university has been incredibly supportive, for which I am grateful.”

The-19-year-old got into archery through common family interest – his father shot as a child before stopping when commencing his A-level studies.

“When the opportunity arose to have a go at archery at a local fair, my dad and brother couldn’t resist. Instantly, they were hooked. They went and bought some kit and joined a club the following day, which I started shortly after and haven’t stopped since.

“What I love about archery is that you’re never perfect. You’re never the best you can be. You can strive to make the perfect shot and get a 10, but even if you do, you want to do it again and again. It’s highly addictive – I think I’m either incredibly stubborn, or equally stupid!"