Hector McNeilly claimed silver in the 2025 World Archery Youth Championships. Photo: Supplied
Seventeen-year-old Hector McNeilly has carried a bow for as long as he can remember - now at just 17 he's claimed a historic silver medial in an international youth archery competition.
McNeilly returned from the successful trip to the 2025 World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada last month.
The Garin College student from Nelson won a silver medal in the men's under 18 compound bow.
"I've carried a bow around for as long as I can remember", he told First Up.
"Probably about four or five years of age. Started with a wee little bow and arrow in my hands.
"Before that I was actually making bow and arrows with bamboo and string, but that's kind of always been part of my life".
A keen hunter, McNeilly initially got involved in competitive archery to improve his accuracy while stalking game.
"So I went along and shot a lot of club shoots and ended up shooting tournaments and practising. I now shoot more paper and more targets than I do animals."
The move from the hills to the archery range was working out very well so far. Hector was fifth at the 2023 World Youth Champs.
He fared even better at this year's edition in Canada, with his silver in the under 18 men's compound bow the best ever finish by a New Zealander.
"It's a big accomplishment, being up there on the stage with the cameras on you. You've got commentators reading out your arrows, and talking about you. It's a big moment for sure. Definitely proud to represent the country."
Hector McNeilly on the podium with his silver medal. Photo: Supplied
The teenager takes a pragmatic approach to the pressures of elite competition.
"You need to be able to kind of focus on your game and just shoot your match, really.
"So, that was my goal in the end, just to shoot the best match that I possibly could for the conditions of the day, and yeah, I shot my arrows..."
But his down to earth demeanour doesn't equate to a lack of ambition. Olympic competition is a target.
While the more traditional recurve bows first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1900, the more modern compound bows McNeilly uses would make their debut at the 2028 games in Los Angeles.
There's just one catch, if McNeilly does make it to LA, he will need to find a partner.
"It's introduced it as a team variety. So you need one man and one woman to compete in the compound to be in the Olympics."
But McNeilly has more immediate concerns; completing Year 13 NCEA following a hectic schedule of travel, training and school work.
"It's tough to juggle for sure. I mean, my academics have definitely struggled the last year.
"I've spent about a third of my time away from school this year competing. That's three months this year internationally competing.
"So it is tough on the academic side of things, but I'm keeping up. It's a lot of work behind the scenes."
During the competition in Winnipeg, Canada. Photo: Supplied
And all that international competition doesn't come cheap. While his parents help out with travel costs McNeilly's also found a way to contribute using his other honed skill with a camera.
"The main, sort of semi-income that I have is a part-time job where I have my own business, if you will, which is a media agency or content creation.
"So that is the 'Young Buck NZ' mixed with the YouTube channel, but mainly just creating content and producing media for some clients that I have here locally and internationally.
"So that all helps. That all contributes. It means I can spend that money on tournament entry fees, travelling fees, accommodation and stuff. So it all helps and gets me overseas in the end."
Multi-tasking and multi-talented, in just a few short years McNeilly could also be hunting Olympic gold.
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