THEY COULDN’T DENY HER THAT ONCE-IN-ALIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

the morning the day of the competition (10 a.m. in Italy), they watched their daughter win two silver medals, competing against archers from all over the world in the individual and team competition via live online broadcast.

Thomas’ introduction to archery was through bow hunting with her father, something she and her younger brother, and avid archer, Tyler still do. Her first trophy was a doe at age nine. At that time, archery was just one of the many activities she loved. Throughout grade school, Thomas was busy with dance and gymnastics, basketball, volleyball and track. Her mom, Mandy, said that watching how much Thomas enjoyed dance and so many other activities, she would have never guessed her little girl would take such a liking to archery.

Thomas said it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why archery calls to her. She said when the bad days make her question her dedication solely to this one sport, the successes, both big and small, and the camaraderie, all remind her why she’s stuck with it. “I could never miss the good days for anything.”

Archery is a sport that requires not only incredible skill, but almost an equal or greater amount of concentration. It is said to be similar to golf in the sense that when you get to the top level, where the fundamental skills are mastered, the difference between winning and losing is almost entirely mental. Thomas’ coach, Linda Beck, said it’s never too early to begin mental management―learning which of the thousands of thoughts running through your brain to act on. Beck is also Thomas’ coach for the Junior Dream Team. She is a level five archery coach―one of just a handful at that level in the United States.

Beck said archers like Thomas need to train their thoughts, just as she’s trained her body to shoot an arrow.

“Although there is pressure [during competitions], I try to not let that get to me,” said Thomas, who’s learned a lot from coach Beck. “Everything we think comes back in visual form, so I think of shots where I’ve trusted myself, and visualize that.” Thomas described the scene of the Gator Cup, a national outdoor target archery tournament in Florida―often used as trials for the World Archery Championship Team―where Thomas won gold individually in 2015. Two archers face off. With only twenty seconds to shoot your arrow, beginning immediately after your opponent gets their shot off, Thomas said it’s incredibly nervewracking. You’re watching your opponent and the clock, on top of hearing the announcer call your arrows and making comments about your shot over a loud speaker. Fortunately, Thomas is a quick shot, which, she said, sometimes flusters her opponents. At the Gator Cup, Thomas said her opponent joked with her that she barely had time to get her own shot off.

“Kinzie’s also got what we call coachability,” Beck said. “People like Kinzie listen; they ask questions; they seek for understanding; they strive to do what we’ve asked them to do in order to improve.” A spot on the Junior Dream Team was no small feat for Thomas to achieve. Beck said that Thomas’ coachability, along with her raw talent, level of fitness and how well she did during interviews and on an essay all factored into why she was chosen ahead of so many who hoped for a place on the Junior Dream Team.