How cool is that? (Women rock,,, and shoot. )

They say you should shoot for the stars, and this athlete’s weapon of choice was a bow. Born this day in 1930, Doreen Wilbur was a record-shattering Olympic archer from Iowa. While most Olympians start practicing their respective sports in their youth, Wilbur didn’t take up archery until 1957, when she was approaching her thirties. The story goes that one day, her husband, Paul “Skeeter” Wilbur, received a bow and arrow set as payment for an auto repair bill.

After trying them out, Doreen found that she was a natural at the sport, and went on to dominate state and national tournaments, earning medals left and right. In 1972, she represented the U.S. at the Summer Olympics in Munich, bringing home the gold at age 42. Aside from her prodigious archery skills, she was also known to be a generous and compassionate competitor, often carrying extra strings and other supplies for other archers who might need them. By the time she retired, she had set 18 records at the national and international level, all without ever receiving professional instruction or coaching.. Today, a bronze statue of her stands in Jefferson, Iowa. It’s one of the few bronzes she ever got!

More about this Curio:
Archery Hall of Fame: "Doreen Wilber, 1930 - 2008."
Jefferson Matters: "Doreen Wilber Olympic Plaza."
USA Archery: "Howtown to Honor Iowa’s Doreen Wilber."