Jess Lethbridge - 

Hi, I'm Jess.  I am 12 years old, and I am a member of Blandy Jenkins Archery Club.

I have a few hobbies including Art, Crocheting, Paddle boarding, but my favourite by far is Archery.

I was first introduced to Archery when I was 6, where I would sit and watch my Grampy and mum, who are both Archers shoot.  When I was 7, I had an Archery Birthday party, and I became hooked.  I couldn't wait to join a club and I completed my beginners course at just age 7 and a half.

I had my first beginners bow in 2019 for Easter, and I enjoyed shooting alongside my mum and my Grampy, who then went on to become my coach.

Then in March 2020, lockdown struck and I, along with everyone else, was unable to shoot.

When things opened back up in October 2021, I started shooting again and was instantly hooked all over again.

Shortly after, a junior club member at my club was presented with a certificate, which was explained to me was for a county record they had beaten.  I asked my mum how I could get one, and was told I would need to compete in competitions.  So, in March 2022, I competed in my first ever competition at the WAA Indoor Junior Championships at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff and won gold in the U12's Ladies Barebow Category.

This set the wheels in motion, and I have been competing ever since and loving every minute of it.  I have since competed in over 50 competitions with my biggest achievements being:

 - Achieved Junior Grand Master Bowman in 2022

- 3^rd Place at the Junior Masters 2022

- Ranked 7^th National Junior Ladies Barebow 2022

- Gold medal at JNOC 2022

- Achieved Junior Elite Grand Master Bowman 2023

- 3^rd Place at the Junior Masters 2023

- Ranked joint 4^th National Junior Ladies Barebow 2023

- Gold at the Junior National Indoor Championships for U14's

- National Junior Ladies Barebow Champion 2023

- Welsh Senior Ladies Barebow Champion 2024

- Over 50 Welsh Records and 6 UK National Records to date

I have also represented my county team Glamorgan twice, both in 2022 and 2023, and most recently in December, represented Wales at the Junior National Indoor Championships where I came 1^st in my age category U14's, won Gold for the Team Nations Barebow category and was crowned overall Junior Barebow Champion of 2023, after winning the H2H rounds. 

This year I am looking forward to going to the Youth Festival, JNOC and competing in the Junior Series Stages.  I hope to be able to represent my county and Wales once again, with the hope of representing GB one day at the Europeans.