Eleanor Louisa Piper

Eleanor Louisa Piper's story

GSF supported sister Archers on path to international success

The 2015 Outdoor season is finally behind us and it’s been an absolute whirlwind! Although we are waiting for the Archery GB Junior Rankings to be announced the Senior Rankings have just been released and Eleanor (age 16 and the youngest on the list) is ranked at No 9 out of a field of 122 ladies. This is an amazing feat which marks the culmination of a year in which both girls were assessed by the Head Olympic Coach to have 95+% perfect technique and tipped as stars of the future.

Eleanor

  • Ranked No 9 in the AGB UK Senior Rankings (this means that she gains preferential entry to the UK National Series in 2016 as one of the UK’s top 20 archers!)
  • One of only 7 archers qualifying for the AGB 2016 Senior Selection Shoot for Rio
  • (Qualified early in the season for the AGB 2016 Junior Selection Shoot as both an U17 Cadet (and with scores to qualify as an U21 Junior))
  • Selected to shoot for GB at the European Youth Cup in Rome where she was highest placed GB Cadet Girl
  • Double U18 AGB National Champion (Metric and Imperial titles)
  • Selected for England at the Junior Home Nations 2015 and Euro Nations 2015
  • Master Bowman (Senior level award gained shooting only adult rounds)
  • Winner of several all senior events
“The support the girls receive from the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) in partnership with SportsAid is invaluable in supporting their achievements and we and they wish to thank you wholeheartedly for your funding.”
Louisa

  • AGB U18 Junior Masters Champion 2015
  • Gained U12 JMB, U14 JMB, U16 JMB and U18 JMB level awards (we believe she is the youngest archer to ever do so in one season – being confirmed by AGB)
  • Youngest archer to qualify for AGB 2016 Junior Selection Shoot
  • Still too young to meet England’s Over 13 Selection Criteria but submitted scores that placed her first pick for the Outdoors Home Nations and she outshot all of the England team at the Indoor Home Nations
  • U12 AGB Indoor Champion and 5th U18
  • Surrey U18 Champion 3rd year in a row
  • Selected for the Surrey Senior Team for the 2nd year in a row
  • Image used for the AGB “What it takes to Win” Performance Academy Profiling Booklet (see attachment) – please note the SportsAid logo. This booklet has been distributed to all athletes on the AGB Talent Pathway
  • Had her “perfect end” Triple X photo featured in Archery GB Magazine (shot in Record Status competition)

The support the girls receive from the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) in partnership with SportsAid is invaluable in supporting their achievements and we and they wish to thank you wholeheartedly for your funding. The costs of supporting two National level athletes grows year on year as they need to travel further afield to seek out increased competition, the events they enter become more expensive and their equipment needs increase as they both grow and make use of better quality kit. Their SportsAid / GSF funding is, by a long way, their main source of aid and, as I have recently been made redundant, a genuine enabler for their sport.

Eleanor was invited up to Lilleshall (home of AGB) last Saturday to be assessed for inclusion in future Olympic squads and we will of course let you know if there is any news in this quarter. Louisa is still only 12 but the youngest GB archer to be able to shoot and compete against adults at the Olympic 70m distance. Her debut Lady Fita scores put her within touching distance of her own Master Bowman classification and, if she manages to become a MB in 2016 (her season objective) she may well be the youngest archer to ever have done so.

It remains a very exciting time for both girls and we cannot believe the progress they have made and continue to make!