As I stood on the field of competition at Sherwood Forest Faire in 2016, I grasped my bow with a sweaty palm and shook from the nerves. I had shot a few times in front of an audience previously, but no one was watching me; I had faded into the background as there were plenty of archers on the field with more skill than myself. This time, as one of a handful of women who had ever competed on that field and having completely bombed the day before, to say I was anxious would be an understatement. My weapon of choice was an all-wood longbow. 

My flight was called. As I stepped up to the shooting line I heard from the back of the audience of hundreds “You can’t shoot!” Well, they were partially correct, the day before, I couldn’t shoot, but I had practiced intensively for a year to prepare for this competition. The target looked very small from the twenty yard line but I wasn’t trying to hit the target, I was attempting to hit the center of the target and the size of the center never changes. I drew up and heard the shaft of my arrow slide across the wood of my bow, I settled in to my anchor, set my gap, picked my spot and loosed my arrow. Shot one of six was complete and it was an excellent shot. Now to complete that process five more times. I shot another arrow from the twenty yard line, bullseye. I then stepped up to the fifteen yard line with my fellow archers, we loosed two arrows and then advanced to the ten yard line for the final two arrows. After the other flights finished shooting, the archers’ whispers were audible while they shuffled about, attempting to predict the outcome. The archer in third place was announced and medaled, the archer in second place was announced and medaled and finally the archer in first place was announced. “In first place, we have Makoa!”

I was flooded with emotion. My hard work had paid off, at least for one day. That weekend of faire came to a close and I returned for seven more weekends to continue to increase my lead. By the end of that season, when I would step on the field, I no longer heard people yelling “You can’t shoot.”, but instead I heard the cheer for the first time, “Shoot like a girl!” voiced by our clan captain. I accepted my season medal from the King himself and found myself moved to tears as I was not only the first female to place in the top three for any season, but the first female to win the entire season ever and beyond that, had accomplished every part of the goal I set for myself.

Hits and Misses in the History of Women in the Sport

• It is rumored fierce Amazons cut off their left breasts in order for the string to have a clear path to launch the arrow, a myth that may be explained by possible linguistic origins: according to The Smithsonian, Amazones was a derivation of a, “without,” and mazos, “breasts.” The notion that Amazons cut or cauterized their breasts appealed to the Greeks because of the primordial nature of the idea. However, it is true, according to National Geographic, that a class of warrior woman existed, called Scythians by the Greeks, they possessed skills in archery, horsemanship, hunting and fighting, venturing from the Black Sea to Mongolia. Archeologists have unearthed burial mounds housing battle-scarred warrior women buried with various weapons.

• More recently, in 2019 at the Oklahoma State Faire, where I was shooting, a woman in her 90s shared her emotional story of having been an Olympic archer in the early years of women’s eligibility. She said that it was an extremely difficult world and sport for women to exist in at that time and that she fought many uphill battles just for being female in a male dominated sport. She heard of our show and that there was a female archery lead so she had to see it for herself. She sat in the front row, and I was honored to have had the opportunity to perform for her and humbled that she helped carve the path for future female archers. 

The resurgence of archery in the entertainment industry, featuring strong, female archers, is a testament to the unyielding grip of this beloved sport on the hearts of all. From The Hunger Games to Mulan to The Last Kingdom to Brave, strong female leads who are experts with the stick and string are steadily emerging in modern media. 

Despite rocky beginnings and troublesome current situations, as a woman in archery, I can assure you that women have gained a great deal of satisfaction from archery since the first time a bow was grasped by a woman. The feeling of nocking an arrow, drawing back, gazing on your target and loosing an arrow is like no other feeling I have ever experienced. Archery is the unattainable quest for perfection and the journey is rewarding. The fascination with archery is age old and is only picking up steam. The movement for equality has helped and most of the male archers I’ve encountered are extremely supportive and willing to aid and elevate women in the sport. They recognize skill before the gender of the archer, as it is simply a very challenging sport that most traditional archers wish to help grow. 

If you are a woman who would like to begin your journey into traditional archery, regardless of your age or skill level, reach out to me, to a local archery club or to the vast resources available online for guidance. The tools to help you on your journey are plentiful and accessible. Do whatever it takes and start now. I believe, as time and ideas of equality progress, the number of women involved in archery will continue to climb.

(abpve) Kim Timberlake, holding multiple IBO Traditional World titles, possesses a joy for archery that is palpable and displayed every time she shoots.

Kristen Johnston is a professional archer and lifetime performer. She began her training in dance at the age of two and pursued a career in classical ballet. After completing her BFA and MPA, her interests turned back towards archery. Training with the mantra “Do whatever it takes and start now.” has led her to two world titles, multiple national titles and numerous state, regional and local titles in longbow, recurve and Asiatic. She has been named an Archery Influencer and has been featured on programs such as The Push Archery and Quickshots. Performing The Longbow Show and sharing the joy of traditional archery with others is her passion. Kris is honored to captain the professional shooting team “Trad Tour”.  She is the mother to two children and is a Level 2 USA Archery Certified Instructor. Find her on TikTok and Instagram (@archeressmakoa), or Facebook (Kris Makoa Johnston).