USNA News Article

Plebe On Target for World Archery Championship

August 9, 2012

By MC2 Alexia Riveracorrea

Naval Academy Midshipman 4th Class Heather Trafford, from Shreveport, La., will compete in the World Archery Field Championship in Val d’lsere, France, Aug. 14-19.

Trafford, who began training when she was only two years old, is a two-time world archery champion and the highest ranked junior archer in the world since the World Field Championship in 2010.

The Naval Academy has granted Trafford permission to join the U.S. National Team and compete for gold in next week’s world championship.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be able to compete,” said Trafford. “I was really excited when I received the letter from the academy saying that I was able to go. I wasn’t expecting it.”

Trafford was a finalist in the U.S. Olympic trials, but her desire to attend the Naval Academy superseded her Olympic aspirations.

“Although my biggest dream was to be part of the Olympic Games this year, I made the decision to commit to something bigger, the Naval Academy,” said Trafford. “Growing up, my dad always focused on God, country and family. He said if you are an American, you should serve your country. That has been the mindset my whole life.”

While at the Naval Academy, she hopes to establish an archery team that can compete at the international level, something her sister - also a world champion archer - has done at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“I love archery, and it would be really sad if I had to completely stop doing it,” said Trafford. “Hopefully we can get something going while I am here.”

Trafford aspires to win gold for the Naval Academy, sparring against her sister at the World University Games in Russia in 2013. Trafford comes from a family of six archers who have collectively won 17 world field archery championships on five continents. She has traveled to and shot in over 65 countries and is being coached by the U.S. Olympic Team coach Kisik Lee.