Quicks Team Shooter - Ashley Dorey (bb)

How did you get into archery?
After taking some time to look into sports clubs in my local area, I happened upon Fort Purbrook Company of Archers - almost completely by accident. Having dabbled in archery in some of my formative years, I decided to roll the dice and give it a go! After building myself up in the first year of my archery career, I took part in my first competition, and from there, I became hopelessly hooked!

What are your archery performance highlights?
The highlight of my competitive career was probably when I achieved a national ranking of 151st in men's recurve in the UK, just before Covid began to rear its ugly head. It wasn't the ranking itself that was my highlight though; the highlight for me was standing in that position, and looking back at myself, and all the hard work that went into getting me there. The highlight was realising just how far I'd come.

What are your goals for 2024 and beyond?
After achieving so much with my sighted recurve setup before Covid, it is my aspiration to do just as well with my compound bow. I have many lessons to learn, but with my decade of experience, and those I have around me, I'm going to achieve just as much - if not more!

Manufacturer sponsors
None.

Who has been most influential in helping you get to your current level?
It would be so difficult to track down everyone who is responsible for getting me to where I am today, a special few stand above the rest: Dan Hawley - My archery story could never have gotten off the ground. He taught me the basics, then kept on teaching as long as I was hungry to learn. Leslie Macpherson - After starting my role at Quicks Archery in December of 2018, Les became more than just a manager to me. He'd never hesitate to guide me in the right direction if ever I had technical queries, form and technique questions, or just simply taking my bow from me, shooting a ten, and telling me that it's not the bow's fault. The Quicks Archery Waterlooville shooting staff - though their time is valuable, the team always finds time to help me when I've needed it most. If it's Equipment advice, a taunt about my ability to over-tune my equipment, or simply someone being there to take photos for me for form checks. Much like we receive thanks from our customers, the rest of the team have my thanks too.

Who is your most admired archer?
If I had been asked before covid, and when I was shooting my sighted recurve, I would have said Sjef Van Der Berg. But now I'm shooting a compound? I find it to be a truly difficult question to answer, honestly. There are many talented archers out there, and I find it difficult to pick out just one. Cheap answer, I know!

What advice can you give to up and coming new archers?
To anyone thinking about starting archery - or who are just digging their roots into the sport: never give up. With archery, progress comes and progress goes. It can be disheartening to see your scores fall off, but if you watch carefully, the trend is obvious: you are always improving, fighting harder, and getting better. There is always something to change and improve upon, and you will always have others around you that are willing to raise you up, too. Never give up… and always bring a notebook. Every day is a school day, and reviewing that information is key! Oh, and make sure you stay hydrated. Never underestimate the power of a water bottle during a day long shoot!