Mel Clarke facts for kids
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Archery | ||
Representing  Great Britain |
||
| Paralympic Games | ||
| Silver | 2012 London | Individual compound |
| Bronze | 2008 Beijing | Individual compound |
Mel Clarke is a talented English archer who has won medals at the Paralympic Games. She was born on September 2, 1982.
Contents
Mel Clarke's Journey
Mel Clarke was born in Norwich, England, on September 2, 1982. When she was 11 years old, an accident during a dance caused her to need a wheelchair. This meant she couldn't move her leg. In 2003, she got sick with Lyme disease, which is an illness spread by ticks. This illness caused her to lose sight in one of her eyes.
Becoming an Archer
Mel first tried archery in 1998 when she was part of the Girl Guides. She enjoyed it and started competing internationally in 2002.
In 2003, Mel made history. She became the first disabled archer from Europe to compete in an international event for athletes without disabilities. However, during this competition, she got Lyme disease. After losing sight in one eye, she had to change how she shot her bow. She learned to tilt her head back to use her other eye for aiming.
Paralympic Success
Beijing 2008: Bronze Medal
Mel competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. She won a bronze medal in the women's individual compound archery event. In the semifinal, she competed against fellow British archer Danielle Brown. Mel then won her bronze medal match against Gulbin Su from Turkey.
World Championships and European Events
In 2009, Mel won a gold medal with her team at the World Championships in the Czech Republic. She also won a silver medal in the individual event at the same competition. Her teammate, Danielle Brown, won the gold.
At the 2010 European Championships, Mel's team won a silver medal. However, she did not place highly in the individual event. She also did not make the team for the 2011 World Championships.
London 2012: Silver Medal
Mel was chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. She competed in the women's individual compound event. Mel reached the final, where she faced her teammate, Danielle Brown, once again.
The match was very close. The first two rounds were tied. Danielle won the third round, and Mel won the fourth, making the score even. In the final round, Mel needed to score a perfect ten with her last arrow to force a tie-breaker. She scored a seven, which meant she won the silver medal.
