By Paul DiSclafani
Phyllis Shaw and Patty Hoppe are residents who have formed a unique dynamic duo. They might not fight crime or wear utility belts, but they do have quivers filled with arrows and compete in national archery tournaments.
Although both are products of the Archery Club, they came from very different places with very different journeys.
After arriving in On Top of the World in 2020, Phyllis was looking for something that didn’t involve card games or social events. “I didn’t want to sit by the pool and bake,” she said.
Then one day she went to the archery range in Veterans Park and spoke to Bob Papirner and Mark Dario, the president and vice president of the Archery Club. “I never picked up a bow in my life,” she said, “I knew zero about it. I went through the safety training and tried it.”
As a kid, Phyllis was limited to non-participant roles in sports, like an equipment manager. “There just weren’t a lot of opportunities.”
That wasn’t the case that day at the archery range. She not only found a sport she could participate in but also discovered something along the way. She was really good at it.
Phyllis not only found her groove, but also competes in the 50-plus age group at the national level. The retired schoolteacher from New Orleans is ranked #1 in the State of Florida and #7 nationally.
How is that possible? “Archery is so adaptive,” she explained. “You don’t need to have two perfect legs or two perfect arms. By participating in it, what it does for you mentally and physically is astounding.”
After a few years of recreational shooting and working with fellow members in the Archery Club, she developed the confidence to take her barebow (nicknamed “Nola”) and try her hand at a competition. “I knew I wanted to be more than a recreational shooter,” she said, “but mentally, I wasn’t ready to take that next step.”
In January 2023, she competed in a national qualifying tournament in Newberry, finishing fourth among the Florida residents and 36th nationally. She’s never looked back.
“That’s one of the great things about archery compared to other sports,” she said, “You can hit the target without perfect form. Good form helps you perform better and more consistently, but you can still enjoy the sport of archery and adapt to it, and have it adapt to you.”
Patty Hoope, originally from Madison, Wisconsin, is currently a Level II archery coach and, along with Phyllis, a member of the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) and USA Archery. One of the founding members of the Archery Club, Patty, who competes with a compound bow, took first place and set a two-day record in the USA Nationals in Mississippi in March. She followed with first-place finishes in the NFAA Nationals in Memphis and at Florida State, where she recorded a perfect 300 score. “I’ve had a good run,” she said modestly, “I shoot with a lot of wonderful women.” And that includes Phyllis.
“Phyllis came here a novice like most of our members at first,” Patty said. “But she had a determination. She’s not intimidated.”
Unlike Phyllis, Patty’s journey began in 1977, with a long break to raise a family. After returning to the sport after turning 50, she took another break. She then became instrumental in founding the archery club, which maintains the range and workshop at Veterans Park.
“Archery is wonderful,” she said. “It’s proven that you can shoot later in life. You don’t have to be young. The great thing about our club is that when you join, all your equipment is included. You can just have fun with it.”
“You just need to go out there and have fun,” said Patty.
For Phyllis, archery has given her something she never thought possible: an identity she never expected.
“This is where my journey started,” she said, “And I don’t know where it’s going to take me. But I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. And now, my identity is, I’m an athlete. I’ve never had that title before. Not only an athlete, but an athlete who has won some stuff.”
And we’ll be there to cheer her on.