 Anyone who knows me knows I love archery, but I don't love it nearly as much as the woman I'm about to introduce you to. Christy Branham has lived her whole life in Floyd County and has won several IBO World Titles. But you'd never know she picked her first bow up only seven years ago after years of persistence from her husband Scotty. And it took him until 2012 and he was out practicing at our home and he was and I went and got nice the next time he asked me I'm going to do this. And he did that day just so happened he did that day and he was like just try to hit this bell and I did and he just kind of looked at me and an addiction was born at that moment. And calling it an addiction is putting it mildly. My neighbors and new neighbors and it's so funny we'll see me at the grocery store and say you're that lady that shoots that bow up there all the time aren't you? And I'm like yeah that's me. Christy started competing in 2013 and has racked up championships left and right. But 2019 has been her best year ever shooting in a brand new class. Out of the five national shoots of the IBO this year I won the first three which was the winter national spring nationals and the first leg of the triple crown. You know you set goals or I do I'm that person. And my goal this year just in this first time being in FBR was I want shooter of the year. I want that. IBO world championships were at the beginning of August and just days before she left Christy Branham had the best and worst streak of luck an archer can have. I was at five arrows because I had busted knocks and things like that and we were waiting on the equipment to come. We had ordered it and was at home practicing and I busted just Robin who did the crap out of it and I was like oh my god I'm down to three arrows because it's like you're happy that you did it but then you're like realization I'm down to three arrows and worlds in three days. Two evenings later the husband meets me here and I'm looking at everything and making sure that it's where I want it and we're down here on target and I shot and he said okay hit the same place again because I was having sight issues I felt like my sights were off and just as soon as I did you hear that pop and he was like you did it again and I was like you're kidding me I literally left here going to a world tournament with one arrow. Thanks to her East Kentucky archery family she got her new arrows just in time. At the end of day one she was in fifth place and climbed to third place at the end of day two. So then you realize I can do this I am as good as these ladies and they are fierce they are very fierce when they come so the end of the ten shots nerves got me the first couple shots it cost me some points so I finished second in I be a world this year. I did get shooter of the year and I cannot tell you the thrill of that because once you and everybody knows once you say to go and you feel like it's unreachable and you it's there and it's yours and it's like I did this I am I'm as good as they are. Christy spends every minute she can promoting archery to women and kids hoping that they don't wait as long as she did to let that first arrow fly. Find that natural seat in your hand. I was in my thirties before I ever picked a bow up for the first time so it's never too late and it's never too early so anybody that wants to just be out and I love outside that's where I want to be. But contrary to popular belief you don't have to be a hunter to enjoy shooting a bow. My husband's a hunter and that's wonderful I have never drawn my bow back on a live animal I shoot foam all day long and I'm happy with that I'm happy with the foam so no you don't have to be a hunter. Christy says it's funny how something that can so easily trigger a temper tantrum can also be the best kind of therapy. It's something that relaxes me a lot of people they golf or their horseback ride or their fish well this is my relaxation this is what I do to kind of calm the day or clear my head when something's weighing heavy on me I can go out and shoot a few arrows and it's better.