16-year-old Samuel Kim uses archery to support dementia awareness, inspired by coach Kim Hyung Tak

Kim Hyung Tak is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaching minds in archery.

He is one of the key figures behind the Korean dominance seen today in recurve archery, having been in the coaching box when Seo Yangsoon won historic gold at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games – the first of Korea’s 33 Olympic archery gold medals.

His knowledge is world-renowned, and the Coach Kim Hyung Tak Archery School, located in the heart of Korea, attracted thousands of archers from around the world before closing last October.

Beyond his deep technical understanding of the recurve bow, his books, coaching manuals and seminars have left a lasting legacy that continues to influence younger generations – but not in the way you might expect.

Aim for Unity is a New Jersey-based non-profit organisation focused on senior brain health and dementia awareness through archery. The initiative is spearheaded by 16-year-old USA recurve archer Samuel Kim.

Samuel launched the project alone in 2024 following his grandmother’s dementia diagnosis. In just two years, he has built a team of 19 staff members, balancing the project while working his way up the USA junior national rankings and continuing his business and finance studies at Bergen County Academies.

“I've always known that archery is a very mental sport. I've always been told that,” explained Kim, describing his motivation for starting Aim for Unity. “I did some preliminary research online and found from the World Health Organization that there are really three main interventions that can help prevent or slow cognitive decline.”

“The first is physical activity, the second is social interaction and the third is cognitive stimulation. I realised that archery, if put in the right environment, fits all three perfectly.”

“When you're pulling back the bow, that's physical activity. The cognitive stimulation comes from remembering where to place your hands with the correct form and sometimes from scoring arrows.”

Kim incorporates these elements into workshops at senior centres across New Jersey, teaching retirees the basics of archery using beginner bows and Velcro-tipped arrows.

So far, Aim for Unity has introduced more than 450 senior citizens to archery across nine senior centres. The organisation’s most recent workshop, held at an assisted living residence in Old Tappan, marked its 28th session.

So how does Kim Hyung Tak fit into the story?

Not directly – but the legendary coach’s influence is clear. Samuel attended Hyung Tak’s seminars and also trained under former Kuwait national head coach Mun Baekwoon at the M&J Archery Academy. Baekwoon himself trained under Hyung Tak during his competitive career.

That coaching lineage helped inspire Samuel to focus on making archery accessible and enjoyable for seniors.

“He taught that coaches often spend too much time on unnecessary details. Archery should be fun.”

“One thing I learned was the 1-2-3 drill for beginners. One, make a T-pose; two, turn your head to the left; three, place your drawing hand underneath your chin – the form is already there.”

“We’ve implemented that in all our workshops and seen a lot of success. He emphasised clean and simple form. That idea was always in the back of my mind and something I knew I had to apply with seniors as well.”

Samuel only spent a few hours with Hyung Tak, but the impact was significant. Advice from a figure of such stature can resonate long after the session ends – even when challenges arise.

After assembling his team, Samuel spent months trying to secure his first workshop. Many senior centres were initially hesitant, primarily due to safety concerns about archery participation among older adults.

He received so many rejections that he recorded a practice workshop with his grandmother to demonstrate the programme, showcase the safety of the equipment and present supporting research from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institute on Aging, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions highlighting how archery can help slow the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

However, the concept of “fun” – something Hyung Tak emphasised archery should always provide – became the central message Samuel wanted to communicate.

“I think the main issue is that, at many senior centres, people are doing exercises that aren’t particularly enjoyable,” he said. “Once they’re introduced to archery, something completely different, people become more engaged and more willing to participate.”

“I know cardio drumming is a popular activity at senior centres, where participants hit large exercise balls, but I don’t think that provides the same level of cognitive stimulation as archery.”

“Archery requires much more mental processing.”

After months of preparation, Aim for Unity’s first workshop took place at a centre in Leonia last July and proved to be a strong start, with 15 seniors taking part – more than Samuel expected.

The centre quickly invited the programme back for additional sessions.

Neither Samuel nor the Aim for Unity team has looked back since, and he is now exploring opportunities to expand workshops into neighbouring New York.

It is far too early to predict how Samuel Kim’s competitive archery career will develop, or whether Baekwoon will guide him to the USA national team. What is already clear, however, is that he is using archery to create meaningful social impact, introducing joy and activity to people four or five times his age.

He is, after all, still just 16 years old.

“I still love shooting archery, and I hope to help create similar initiatives around the world, because dementia affects people everywhere,” he said.

“You can win national tournaments, but at the end of the day you’re not necessarily helping others. I wanted to use the skills and training I’ve gained not only to help myself but to help people around me.”

What Aim for Unity demonstrates is that Hyung Tak’s legacy extends far beyond technical coaching.

His influence continues to shape the sport in unexpected ways – reaching senior centres in the United States, thousands of miles from Korea.

Header image courtesy of Samuel Kim. Content images courtesy of Aim for Unity.