For most three-year-olds a fun day most likely involves teddy bears or Tonka trucks.
But Amber Reinbott’s choice of toy was different – she liked the bows and arrows her parents played with.
Reinbott was only three years old when she took up archery.
“It was a family affair,” she said.
“Mum and dad inspired me to start, they are both keen archers”.
By the time Amber was 12 she was a World Champion for her age having broken three Pacific records one her way to victory at the International Field Archery Association (IFAA) World Titles in 2016.
Frustrated by the sport when the pandemic hit, Reinbott took a step away from archery to focus on her studies and nurse herself back to health after a shoulder injury.
“I had a lot of pains in my shoulders, and I was getting a little bit frustrated with the sport, so I took a really big break,” she said.
The time away did her good. After four years away from archery, she began to realise she missed having it in her life.
Next month the Bond Actuarial Science student will be competing at the 2024 IFAA National Championships.
“I no longer have any spite towards the sport,” Reinbott said.
“Now that I’m doing it for myself, I do really enjoy it.”
Reinbott competes in the Female Freestyle Unlimited category. She shoots a compound bow which differs from the traditional recurve bow used at the Olympics.
“A compound bow has long stabilisers and allows me to have a sight tape which assists in adjusting the scope when shooting targets.”
Amber will shoot 28 different targets at the IFAA Nationals.
“The targets range anywhere from 20 feet to 80 yards,” she said.
“I want to break the record in the age group which has been standing for eight years.
“I actually broke national records at the Queensland State Titles earlier in June, but they don’t count because it wasn’t a national event.”
Reinbott’s training for the event consists of two-hour sessions every day on the Bond University fields – a combination of shooting and sight practice in addition to breathing exercises to help control her thoughts.
“I work very hard to make sure there is nothing in my mind when I shoot,” she said.
“I follow a breathing pattern when I shoot, so it forces me to go into the mode, into the zone, subconsciously.”
The 2024 IFAA National Championships will be held at Wide Bay Archers near Hervey Bay between the 3rd and 5th of July.