Rico Areola, a 15-year-old student at King Kekaulike High School in Maui, is set for an exciting summer of travel and competition. She will represent the United States in three major archery tournaments – the third stage of the World Archery World Cup in Medellin, Colombia (June 12-18), the World Archery Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland (July 3-9), and the World Archery Championships in Berlin, Germany (July 31 to August 6).
Rico recently broke the world record for under-18s with her score of 705 points in the 50m, 72 arrow round at the Gator Cup in Florida. She practices for 20-30 hours a week on her family’s property and has a strong passion for archery. Her ultimate goal is to compete in the Olympics one day.
Rico’s trip to Ireland and her qualifying competition in Phoenix will be funded by her family, while her travels to Colombia and Germany with the senior varsity team will be sponsored by USA Archery. Her supportive parents cover most of the travel expenses and Rico is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to compete on an international stage.
Rico’s two older brothers are also supportive and help out whenever they can. She believes that her success in archery comes down to practice, training, and a love for the sport. Rico is not intimidated by her country’s strongest opponents and simply loves competing with anyone, regardless of their age or experience level.
Overall, Rico is thrilled for the chance to compete on the world stage and is excited to see where her passion for archery will take her in the future.