15 june 2010 - Mix HAXHOLM (THA/SWE): "You must build something of your own"

Mix HAXHOLM (THA/SWE): "You must build something of your own" Lausanne - 15 june 2010  The Swedish Archery Association had the chance to meet recently with a very special figure in archery of the last decade. One who truly combines beauty, elegance and archery, Jenjira KERDPRASOP—better known as Mix HAXHOLM. Here is her interview.   Born in Bangkok and raised in Finspång, Mix HAXHOLM travelled around the world to train and compete (four years) for Thailand. Having won the Miss Thailand title in 2003, her subsequent participation at the Miss World competition meant she could not represent her country at the Olympics in Athens the following year. However, it did not stop Mix from starting an archery school in Bangkok and hosting a TV sports programme.   With many experiences behind her, she now combines the hectic schedule of a top model with the normal everyday life of being married to a Swedish professional football player. Moreover, the comeback in archery is just around the corner.   "My mentor, Erik KARLSSON, who passed away several years ago, trained me since my first arrow. He often told me to get myself and my archery in order ‘you have to be more organised’. That was many years back and I think my life today is something better described as organised chaos, she says sipping her coffee."   Mix is now one of two people behind the ‘Proteinfabrikken Sweden’—a business enterprise active in the field of nutritional supplements. This involves a great deal of work that will have to be taken into consideration when she devises and pursues her overall future in archery.   Please tell us you story from the  beginning "I was born in Bangkok and raised in Finspång. I think that has given me a healthy balance in life. But it all started 12 years ago. Moving around the world at the age of 16 was very rough. My father was also very strict when I was a young girl. No late nights in the discotheque. But he gave me a lot of support when it came to making and taking opportunities like these."   "I recall standing in the schoolyard thinking, ‘this is my chance. It is now or never’. And I didn’t hesitate one second. So I went to train and compete for the national team of Thailand. I did that for four years. Thereafter I became the first foreigner to train with the national team of South Korea.   How did you get the opportunity to train in Thailand and South Korea? That must have been some experience? "My father and Mr PARK, a famous coach who went on to establish the archery brand Win&Win, were close friends and helped me to deal with that. I remember visiting Mr PARK in Korea. He had a small office and talked about his dream of building bows. Look at him now! Isn’t that fantastic!"  "I spent six months living and training with the best South Korean team. We lived in the middle of Seoul. Some of the girls were Olympic and world champions. It was like being a professional football player or a rock star. We had our own driver, free clothes, a good salary, and were even awarded a bonus when high scores were achieved."   "The training was really tough. After my first week I phoned home crying. One girl from Thailand couldn’t cope and returned home after three weeks. One time I found myself in hospital as my body wasn’t used to training at this level."   "Now, when I look back, I believe this was my weakness when I was younger. Training too hard and not listening to my body. I got a lot of criticism here in Sweden for training too much. Okay, I was shooting 400 arrows every day, six days a week with hard physical training. But I also felt that if I could cope with this, I could cope with anything. I learned a lot about myself during that time and I think archery has formed me into a fairly strong woman who knows where she is going and what she wants."   "Swedish archers have to train more nowadays. But it’s all about balance. You can’t just copy. Sweden is totally different from Korea. First there’s work and school, and then there’s archery training. The stars in South Korea eat and breathe archery. It’s all they do. The training in Korea has its starting point in how things are done in South Korea. We can copy their basics which are great and use them as foundations upon which we can build upon ourselves."   "I have a philosophy: ‘You can’t be number one as long as you take from somebody else.’ You have to build something of your own. You must have integrity.   "After my first year as Miss Thailand, I worked very much as a model. But instead of partying after work, I started an archery school in Bangkok as a way of balancing the glamour with a normal life. Modelling isn’t just about good money and a glamorous life. It’s also about drugs and it’s easy to get ‘dragged into’ that world. So in 2006, I felt it was time to move out and return home to Sweden. I got married and now I can work for short periods of time in Thailand and then return to my normal life."  "I also started to sing and entered the music business. I went into the recording studio in 2007 and will hopefully have my music released soon."   Lets talk about your comeback. How is your form? "Physically I am a bit off, but today I am much stronger mentally. I took part in a few competitions last year and I did 1247. But I have learnt so many things about training and shooting that I just need time for training. My new job is also taking up a lot of time right now so that needs to settle down before I can fully concentrate on my comeback."   And your dreams? "My dream? My dream when I was very young was to participate in the Olympic Games as a figure skater. That was what I did at first, but I was already too old at the age of 15 and that was when archery took over. My dream of participating in the Olympics is still very much alive and one day….   Her phone rings, she answers, and it’s time to end this interview. Mix scurries across the street making her way to some important meeting, like a young girl with all her dreams intact.   Text: Mikael SVAHN, The Swedish Archery Magazine Photo: Mikael SVAHN and Mix HAXHOLM Translationsupport: Paul COMPTON   Edited by World Archery Communication