Eliana Stein from Falkland won the Canada Winter Games Trials for women's compound archery in Oliver on Nov. 20.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Kate Stein

A 16-year-old from Falkland is representing B.C. with her bow and arrows.

Eliana Stein won the Canada Winter Games Trials at the Air Cadet Squadron Hangar in Oliver today, Nov. 20, against four other women in the compound archery women’s division, securing her position on Team B.C.

“I was terrified,” she said. “It was a very tight competition, there were four of us and I won by a single point. It could have been anyone’s match to win.”

Eliana has been having fun doing archery with her dad and now coach, Ed Stein since she was little but for the past 18 months the pair have taken her sport seriously, attending tournaments in B.C. and Alberta and training at the Armstrong Fish and Game Club.

She competed in four provincially recognized tournaments to get into the trials competition that started yesterday through the B.C. Archery Association.

“The four girls with the top scores from the tournaments across the year were chosen to go to the trials to figure out who would go to Canada Winter Games,” Ed said. “The competition was tight, it was fun to watch.”

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Eliana competes in indoor matches called ‘600 Round’ where she shoots 60 arrows in a row and gets a score out of 600 based on accuracy.

Ed is a long-time archer and said his daughter has a bit of his perfectionist characteristics that help her succeed.

“I started archery because it is what fun but it doesn’t end, there are always little things that drive you forward and I love the competition,” he said. “I started teaching my kids how to shoot nine years ago but I never pushed them. Over a year ago the opportunity came up to pursue the Canada games and my daughter wanted to try for it.

“For her it has been a year-and-a-half journey, for me it has been a nine-year dream.”

Eliana said her success hinges on her ability to manage stress, nerves and emotions.

“Archery is a very mental game so the entire sport is about managing your nerves,” she said. “It is terrifying but you have to control and work through those nerves and shoot well. It is fun at the same time.”

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The Canada Winter Games are being held in Prince Edward Island and Eliana will be flying there with her team of four athletes and two coaches at the end of February to compete in March.

“I’ve never been to Eastern Canada,” Eliana said. “The farthest I’ve been was on a trip to Seattle. I don’t know what to expect.”

Ed, who has been by her side until now, will likely be at work and have to watch his daughter’s progress from afar. 

He admitted sometimes he “can be a tough coach,” while Eliana said sometimes she “can be a difficult teenager” but the two would never give up the time they share together.

The sport of archery is not common in Eliana’s circles but she hopes it will continue to grow in popularity.

“My friends think it is pretty cool but it doesn’t really affect my social life, it is just a cool skill to have.”

They credited part of their success to the skilled archers they trained beside at the Armstrong Fish and Game Club along with volunteer coaches Leon Meier and Grahame Go.

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