Kelsey Hunt (she/they) picked up archery in her third year of university when she was in a difficult space mentally and wanted something to focus on outside of work and study.
When on a library tour, Kelsey met another student who was part of St Andrew’s University Archery Club (SAUAC) and was convinced to give the sport a try.
Reflecting on her archery experience so far, Kelsey said:
“I have felt so welcomed at SAUAC to come just as I am, whether I have figured myself out or not. The club is a melting pot of people from all different backgrounds and made me feel in a space where I was finally able to be open and honest with other people about how I identify. I was welcomed like it was home.”
Archery has given Kelsey a space where she can focus on the present, offering positive mental and physical well-being. Through socialising with fellow club members, staying active, and engaging in other activities to improve her archery skills, she continues to grow both in the sport and on her personal journey.
Pride and precision
Kelsey is a keen advocate for archery because of how it has allowed her to connect with others who identify in the same way as she does. She’s made many new friends and even met her partner through her involvement in the sport.
Kelsey said:
“If I had not found archery, I don’t know who I would be without it. Meeting other people who understood what being pansexual means and accepting it made me feel welcome and more importantly, confident.”
“Sometimes there might be conversations that can feel difficult, or different - but I have found archers not just in the student realm very accepting and wanting to understand.”
Through her newfound love of the sport, Kelsey has also found confidence to come out in other spaces and talk about queerness on social media too.
She said, “conversations about asexuality aromanticism and those spectrums made me feel normal, when society kept telling me it wasn’t. I also met some other queer Christians and people of faith which helped me feel confident in both my religion and my attractions.”
A platform for inclusivity
Kelsey highlights the importance of inclusion, visibility and awareness through listening, understanding and having honest conversations about how being LGBTIQ+ can impact your experiences in sport.
She is very active on social media and uses her platform to speak about issues around inclusivity with the aim to be more involved not just in club spaces, but to support Scottish Archery in that capacity too.
Kelsey said:
“Feeling able to have conversations openly about who you are and finding a safe space is very important. At my club, we are normalising the fact that queer people exist and many of them find comfort in archery. Respecting and using pronouns is an important step!”
“Wherever I go, I want to be able to devote even just a little bit of time, to making a space that is much more welcoming for people like me.”
Lasswade Archery Club have made a pride logo for their club which Kelsey says helps people know that the club openly supports and accepts queer people so they know they can go into the space knowing they can be their authentic selves.
Looking to the future
Kelsey is beginning a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), a teacher training qualification designed for individuals who already hold a bachelor's degree and wish to become certified educators.
With a passion for science education, Kelsey will be teaching biology and beyond that, wants to be a role model by creating safe sport spaces for young people.
She said “as a teacher you aren’t only responsible for teaching a subject, but you become a role model in every capacity too. I hope one day I can help young people who are different see someone who is confident in who they are and know they can find that confidence too.”
Find out more
- HOME | Scottish Archery
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