Archers from Break the Barriers, a center for people of all abilities, shot with professionals from across the globe in the first Inclusive ProAm on Friday night at The Vegas Shoot 2019.
One professional archer was teamed up with two archers from Break the Barriers in each team. They shot a 15-arrow Vegas round, with the X counting as 11, for qualification. The top four teams moved into a shoot off to select the top three.
The team made up of professional shooter Jesse Broadwater, and Break the Barriers' Jared Schmidt and Jennifer Lewis took first place.
“It’s pretty awesome. I love shooting with the veterans, I love shooting with Jesse and the pros. It moves my heart to shoot with them and I can't wait to do it again,” said Jared. “This is my first time at The Vegas Shoot and I love it.”
His teammate Jennifer described the experience as “fantastic”.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better partner for them to give us and I think we stepped out,” she added.
Their professional teammate, two-time Vegas Shoot Champion Jesse Broadwater said that events like the ProAm were important in making this event truly inclusive.
“It was awesome. When I first heard about it, I thought ‘it’s going to be cool’ but now that I have shot in it, I can’t wait to do it again next year,” said Jesse. “All these guys are awesome, the way they shoot with their disabilities gives other people hope out there.”
Sixteen professionals including Alexis Ruiz, Martin Damsbo, Crispin Duenas and Darrin Christenberry took part.