A FAMILY from Twyford is celebrating after two brothers each earned places at world-class events.
Twins Finlay and Oliver Hicks, aged 15 years old, share a talent for archery and are involved with the Scouting movement as members of Loddon Explorers.
Finlay has gained a place at the World Scout Jamboree, being held in South Korea next year. Oliver won a silver medal in the adult men’s class at the European Indoor Archery Championships which took place in Slovenia last month.
“Fin received the news that he’d been offered a place in the Berkshire units going to Korea the night before Ollie flew to Slovenia,” mum Charlotte explains.
“The boys’ dad Darren and I are so incredibly proud of them both.”
The selection process for one of the 72 places available to the county’s Explorer Scouts — aged 14 to 18 years old — for the world jamboree was in two parts. The first was a ballot and the second was a weekend event in which candidates were judged on participation in activities.
“I felt a bit of pressure, but it was still fun,” Fin explains.
“When I found out I have a place, I was ecstatic.
“Now I am fundraising for the trip, I need £4,000.”
Fin plans to sell items made using his 3D printer, do odd jobs and have a sponsored arrow shoot in which he aims to fire 9,076 arrows, one per kilometre of the distance between Twyford and South Korea.
The boys’ first learned archery at 1st Twyford Scouts at events run by leader Peter Rogers, also known as Zed.
Ollie explains that he found it challenging, but really enjoyed it. Soon after the second course, he and Fin decided to join archery club Bowmen of Warfield. He is a barebow archer, which means that he does not use any sights or stabilisers on his bow to assist accuracy.
“I train as much as I can,” Ollie says.
“To qualify for the Europeans, I had to get the right number of points at competitions all over the country and then go through a national selection process.
“I was originally selected for the junior squad, but many countries ended up not sending one to Slovenia.
“So I decided to go into the adult competition as I would get more matches.”
The gamble paid off. In his first international tournament, Ollie came away with the silver medal. He lost out to another junior, 18 year old Leo Pettersson from Sweden, in a match which came down to the final end.
“It was a close match and I had never experienced anything like the final before,” Ollie explains.
“It was televised and their was nobody else shooting at the same time, just me and Leo.
“I tried to treat it just like any other match.”
But he isn’t letting his success go to his head, and has his sights on his next international tournament.
The World Archery 3D Championships will be held in Italy in September and the World Archery Field Championships in the US in October.
For more information on Fin’s trip to the World Scout Jamboree, visit: gofund.me/96eb90c2
