Competitive Team Member 2023-2024
Accolades:
2024 SIACC Compound Mixed Team Bronze

2024 West Regional Male Compound Team Bronze

Jaewon started his archery journey this past fall in 2023. He took a break from lacrosse during COVID and was looking for a new sports team at UCSD, when as luck would have it, he came across one of SGA’s workshops. He said that it felt like destiny when he saw it, like he just knew “This is it.” He always thought archery was a fascinating sport, but Korea wasn’t as beginner-friendly, needing to start as a child or not at all. He appreciates how open SGA is to new archers and that it welcomes students of all skill levels.

His most defining memory of his time shooting was his final arrow in SIACC. The room was loud, full of music and people talking and cheering. However, when he started drawing back that arrow, it was like the world went quiet, and all that was there was just him and the target. He’s experienced that absolute concentration very few times, even throughout his whole life playing music and sports, and considers it to be a valuable memory that he looks back fondly on.

Throughout his life, Jaweon has played numerous sports. However, his experience was that each one was very competitive. They took each mistake seriously and it was mentally challenging to deal with it all. In contrast, he found that the SGA team was different. They were supportive of each others’ shots regardless of performance and gave confidence even after making a mistake. He’ll never forget that during SIACC mixed teams, he hit a 7, and one of his teammates screamed out “10!!” This led to lighthearted laughter from the team and Jaewon himself. Right after that, he shot a 10 and he says he’ll never forget how heartwarming that experience was.

His biggest struggle in archery has been getting the timing right on releasing his shots. He used to reflexively release as soon as his sight went over the center, even when his shot process and form hadn’t been completed yet. Through much practice, he has been able to fix this and now is in better control of his timing. He says that being patient and knowing when to find good timing is an applicable skill outside of archery, and has shown its way in his personal life in many ways (gaming to name one).

To new or prospective members of the club, he has a couple of pieces of wisdom to share. He recalls that working on improving his form rather than focusing exclusively on aiming, has helped him shoot far better. Especially through competitions, he was able to identify different parts of his shot process that he could work on. He recommends that club members should try to go if they can, as they’re not only fun but give archers a chance to improve through them as well. Lastly, he emphasizes that having the “best” equipment and spending a lot of money on the sport doesn’t mean you’ll shoot better. His entire setup was less than $400 and he’s shot better than people who have spent far more on theirs. He explains that skill is the most important thing for an archer, and new archers shouldn’t feel the pressure to buy expensive equipment.

Jaewon does not have a set destination in mind after graduation and plans on spending two years doing research, after which he will go to med school. We’re wishing Jaewon the best of luck with his studies and future career and we’re very proud to have him as an SGA Alumni!