5 May 2010 - Reo WILDE (USA): “I hope my daughter will enjoy archery as much as I do!”

Reo WILDE (USA): “I hope my daughter will enjoy archery as much as I do!”
Porec (CRO) – 5 May 2010   Reo WILDE from the USA was the very first winner of the World Cup Final back in 2006. Last year, he became world champion in Ulsan (Korea), 12 years after his famous father, Dee. We met Reo in Porec where he is competing in the World Cup stage 1.  Welcome back on the World Cup! How is it going for you this season?
Good. I had a good indoor season, now it’s kind of the start of the outdoor season. We’ll see how that goes. I think i’m going to shoot all the World Cup stages except Antalya, because I couldn’t get off work for Antalya. It will be fun because Ogden is only about 2 hours from my house, and my wife and daughter will come see me compete.   Now that you have won the World Cup Final and the World Championships, what are your goals in the sport?
To always be competitive. In every tournament I have a chance to win, but there are a lot of good archers.   How do you feel about the new rules?
I think the set system has pluses and minuses. I haven’t done it a lot; I shot only one tournament, and the more you shoot the better it gets.   How do you practice?
I practice in my Mom and Dad’s backyard everyday. I have a brother and a Dad who are very competitive, so we shoot together which is really nice.   How do you combine professional archery with a job?
I just use all my vacation time to travel. I’ve worked for UPS for 16 years now, so I’ve built up a lot of vacation time, which I use for my events.   Is it possible to make a living from archery in your country?
It’s close. Since I have a wife and a little kid, and we are expecting our second child the week after Ogden, I want to make sure there is a good income and security, because in archery you only get money if you win.   Apart from your sponsors like Hoyt and Easton, do you have sponsors from outside archery?
The only one that is not from archery is Swarovski. I use their binoculars.   What was the highlight of your career?
Probably winning the World Cup Final in 2006 with my wife attending. It was our first tournament together. We’ve been married 3 years and before that she didn’t realize how big an event it was.   Is your daughter going to shoot archery?
She’s only 2 and she likes to grab my bow and play with it. She doesn’t know a lot of words but she can say “Daddy’s bow”. I hope she will enjoy archery as much as I do!   Thank you Reo, and good luck!   Vanahé ANTILLE
World Archery Communication