Athlete of the Week: Danielle BROWN (GBR)

Danielle BROWN is famous for her successes both in para-archery and in archery. She established herself as a champion in 2007, with a double victory (team and individual) at the para-archery world championships, and has been dominating the compound women para-archery category ever since. At age 20, she won the individual gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and went on to win the para-archery world championships title again in 2009 and 2011.
 
In 2010, BROWN qualified for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, becoming the first Paralympian to represent England in an able-bodied event at the Games. She won a gold medal in the event, beating Canada in the final alongside teammates Nicky HUNT and Nichola SIMPSON. For the first time in 28 years a para-archer won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games.
  
As the big favourite in the London 2012 Paralympic Games, 24-year-old BROWN felt a lot of pressure on her shoulders. However, she put the pressure aside and was able to defeat her teammate Mel CLARKE in the final for a well-deserved Paralympic gold medal.
  
Danielle BROWN was among the best archers of her category over the World Cup season, ranking No 10 overall and is in Tokyo this week for the World Cup Final.
 
How does it feel to go from winning the Paralympic gold medal to competing in the Archery World Cup Final? It’s incredible. This has been a very short turn around but is really exciting to be here amongst the best archers in the world. I’ve been shooting all year and training very hard for the Paralympics which I can put into practice for this event as well. My goal is to have a lot of fun and shoot the best I can.    
What was it like to compete in the Paralympics, in your own country as the defending Paralympic champion? To be honest it was a lot of hard work. I knew there was a lot of expectation on me to win. London was definitely harder to win than my first Paralympic medal because I was in my home country. My friends and family had come to watch, there was a lot of media interest and pressure, the crowd was there supporting me and obviously wanting the British athletes to win. There was a lot pressure from everywhere and it was very tough. The gold medal final was a very hard match, but I managed to do it and felt just so relieved when I did well. Honestly, I can’t think of anything better than to win a Paralympic gold medal in my home country.  
What are the main differences between archery and para-archery? At the moment Paralympic archery was shot at 70 metres while compound archery is shot at 50 metres. The Paralympic is my main event and I’m funded by the UK Sport funding programme, which means that the Paralympics is my job. In the able-bodied side I find that I can relax more, enjoy and get experience that I can use towards my Paralympic archery. Whatever the category, archery is a mental sport. Results depend on how you deal with the pressure. For me, there is more pressure on the Paralympic side because I’ve done so well in the past and I want to keep doing well, which is a tough position to be in… whereas in the able-bodied side, I’ve got nothing to lose.
 
What has it taken to be ranked No. 10 overall in the world?
Oh wow, I had no idea I was ranked No. 10. Once I finished my law degree in 2011, I started training fulltime because of the UK Sport funding programme. We have greater facilities at the national training centre and I’ve moved close by to take full advantage of the centre. The more experience I’m getting, the more I learn and the better I become. The fact that I got to the World Cup Final is incredible. The whole journey has been amazing.   
   What are your new goals in archery and outside of the sport?
I definitely want to work for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. I really enjoy shooting. The sport is way more fun than getting a real job! My future obviously depends on the funding which is decided every year. Since I did well in 2012, next year should be OK.
When I’m not training, I’m busy starting my own business. My focus will be in motivational speaking, disability awareness, and training. My sister is in sports psychology, so I’m thinking about working on mental training in sports. So far this is my progress outside of competing in archery at the moment. I will let you know how it goes in due time (smile).
        Biography extract:   Danielle BROWN – Born on 10 April 1988
   
1st Individual Paralympic Games London 2012 1st Individual World Archery Para Championships Turin 2011 1st Team Commonwealth Games New Delhi 2010 1st Individual European Championships Vichy 2010 1st Individual World Archery Para Championships Nymburk 2009 1st Individual Paralympic Games Beijing 2008 1st Individual

World Archery Para Championships Cheongju

2007      Find more information on Danielle BROWN (and all other archers) at the World Archery website.   World Archery Communication