Sasha Chadburn and her mom, Shelly, run a programme for underprivileged children, teaching them mounted archery.
Napier, South Africa (23 June 2024) – Sasha Chadburn (18) represents South Africa in Mounted Archery on the international stage. When she isn’t flying the flag high, the proudly South African teen shares her passion for the sport with children from disadvantaged communities. Sasha and her mom, Shelly Barron, started the Freeriders Horse Archery programme in Napier to teach the ancient skill to children from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
The mother-daughter duo started the programme a year ago with one young lady enrolled. Over the past year, she has grown from strength to strength and the programme has grown to include even more children.
Training takes place every Saturday morning, where the children and teens are taught to ride horses and shoot arrows. Those who have started to pick up the skills, work towards perfecting them through practice. As the sport can be dangerous, the programme is limited to only a few participants at a time.
Once training is finished, the whole Freeriders team is served a hearty soup with chunky bread, giving everyone a chance to sit and chat about the day and their dreams for the future.
This programme has been Sasha’s dream for many years. We spoke to the inspiring teen, who shared her insights into what the programme means to her and her advice for athletes who are starting in the sport.
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“I think passing down this incredible sport, which is one of the oldest martial arts, to the youth is an incredible opportunity, and I feel proud to see them progress. I am lucky to have incredible teachers and mentors, and I hope I can pass that on to them.”
Sasha wants hopeful athletes to know to take their time in perfecting their skills.
“For those who want to start, take it slow. Focus on your technique, as it’s the most important part to shooting and riding. Try not to rush the process, it can be frustrating, but speed comes with practice, and the more you practice the faster you become.”
The programme participants got together yesterday on a moody Western Cape winter morning to take part in archery practice and enjoyed every moment.
Shelly shared that those wanting to support and get involved with the programme welcome donations of riding helmets, boots, and general riding gear, as well as bows and arrows. You can reach out via Facebook here or using the Instagram account shared above.
