Arreola ready to take on the world
Maui teen to represent USA in 3 events in Europe, South America this summer
Maui’s Liko Arreola takes aim while competing in the Las Vegas Shoot in February 2022. Arreola, 15, will be representing the United States in three events this summer in Colombia, Ireland and Germany. NFAA photo
Liko Arreola, shown competing earlier this month, recently returned from the Gator Cup in Florida, where she broke the under-18 world record for the 50 meters, 72 arrows round with a score of 705. Photo courtesy of Teri Arreola
Liko Arreola competes at the World Archery Youth Championships U.S. Team Trials in Phoenix in April. USA ARCHERY photo
Maui’s Liko Arreola takes aim while competing in the Las Vegas Shoot in February 2022. Arreola, 15, will be representing the United States in three events this summer in Colombia, Ireland and Germany. NFAA photo
Liko Arreola, shown competing earlier this month, recently returned from the Gator Cup in Florida, where she broke the under-18 world record for the 50 meters, 72 arrows round with a score of 705. Photo courtesy of Teri Arreola
Liko Arreola competes at the World Archery Youth Championships U.S. Team Trials in Phoenix in April. USA ARCHERY photo
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Liko Arreola has a summer of travel coming up that most 15-year-olds can only dream about.
The King Kekaulike High School sophomore will be competing in the World Archery World Cup stage 3 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-Aug. 6.
She recently returned from the Gator Cup in Florida, where she broke the under-18 world record for the 50 meters, 72 arrows round with a score of 705, three points better than the previous world record.
Outside of the trip to Ireland for the world youth championships, Arreola has qualified for U.S. national teams for Colombia and Germany with top-three finishes in Florida and Arizona recently.
"I am so excited, that will be something different, something that I would love to do, I would really love to do that," Arreola said via phone on Thursday, adding "it's how much you want to be good and how much you love doing it. And you have to keep on training -- it's basically how much you really love the sport."
With two older brothers well ahead of her in age -- Lason, 29, and Moku, 32 -- Liko Arreola started archery when she was 6 and wanted to tag along with her father, Ryan.
"My dad, he used to do archery, but he got me into it," Liko Arreola said, adding that there are several reasons why she excels at the sport. "I think it's how much I practice, training and how much I love the sport. I train so much with my dad to get more perfect and I love traveling so much."
The only daughter of Ryan and Teri Arreola loves sharing the sport with her dad. The family estimates she practices 20 to 30 hours per week on their property Upcountry. When it rains, practice is in the garage.
Mom and dad make her take at least one day off of practice per week.
"I have a lot of fun, it's something different, something unique," Liko Arreola said.
After competing up in age so much over the years, to the point where she is now a national-level archer regardless of age, she doesn't take into mind when she takes on the best opponents in the nation.
"No, I just love competing with anybody, could be young, could be old," she said. "I just love competing with everybody."
She admits that the Olympics are on her radar screen.
"I would love to compete in the Olympics some day," she said. "I enjoy the individuality of it. It's kind of challenging, archery."
Her first trip of the summer to Colombia is something she qualified for with a cumulative top-three finish nationally at the Arizona Cup in April and the Gator Cup in Florida last weekend.
She will be one of three Americans -- the others hail from Arizona and Pennsylvania -- competing with the best in the world. She will be making her international debut on the trips this summer.
"This will be the first time," she said. "That's really exciting for me, I'm really excited to do this."
Her trips to the Mainland for qualifications and the world youth championships in Ireland all come out of the family coffers. Liko's trips to Colombia and Germany as a member of the senior national team will be funded by USA Archery, but mom and dad will attend on their own dime.
Both older brothers are in her corner. Lason Arreola met up with the family for their recent Florida trip.
"Nothing much," Liko said when asked what her brothers tell her, "but they are super supportive of me and they will help me with anything I need."
Mom and dad pay for much of the travel and the word "grateful" came up several times from their daughter.
"I'm super grateful," Liko said. "Not a lot of kids have this opportunity that I have and I'm so grateful that they're willing to do this for me."
The remarkable journey is clearly a family affair.
"Yeah, I kind of surprise myself, but this is what I train for," Liko said, adding "this is the only sport I have ever tried."
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com