Arizona archer shooting for Olympic gold in London

PHOENIX — The glory sports, such as basketball and swimming, will capture most of the attention during the Olympics, but one Arizona man is also targeting gold in London on a quieter level.

Archer Brady Ellison of Payson could soon bring home a gold medal from the London Olympics — he’s ranked No. 1 in the world and the favorite heading into his speciality. But it’s what’s behind the bow that makes Ellison special.

“He has worked with the Wounded Warrior Project and the Susan G. Komen Shoot for the Cure cancer foundation,” said Tanja Washburn with Arizona Game and Fish.

Washburn said about 30,000 kids from more than 150 Arizona schools are involved in the archery program and thanks Ellison, who competed in Payson’s Junior Olympic Archery Development program, for much of the interest.

“[Ellison] has been wonderful by going and speaking to these students and making sure they understand that they can do anything that they put their mind to,” she said. “And our kids are excelling on the national level.”

Arizona Game and Fish Department Deputy Director Gary Hovatter said the Globe-born Ellison is carrying the hopes of a lot of people with him to London, but he’s already a winner.

“He’s a winner for Arizona,” said Hovatter. “He is a winner personally. We’re honored to have an association with him. He’s a life success. If a life well lived is any measure of his deserving an Olympic medal, he has already medaled.”

Ellison, who competes in recurve archery, was born in 1988, which coincidentally was the last year that an Arizona archer was in the Olympics.

The opening round of archery is Friday.

Related

UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accuse FIFA of ‘deception’ and ‘breach of trust’ over World Cup plansDriver who broke the sound barrier attempts another land speed record in UtahFrom Uniqlo to Zara, clothing brands try to win over Gen Z with a needle and threadA man accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing is on trial. Here’s what to knowCongressional Democrats launch probe into efforts to deport US military members and their familiesAs AI grips world, the thrill of collecting vintage computers is growing