When you scale a mountain as quickly as Penny Healey, sometimes the descent can be just as dramatic.
At times, that has felt like the case for the 20-year-old. In 2023, the summer after turning 18, she rose to the top of the women’s recurve archery world rankings and claimed gold representing Team GB at the European Games.
Perhaps understandably, that raised expectations heading into last summer’s Olympics in Paris. But finishing 52nd in the ranking round left Healey with a tough opening round draw against Jeon Hun-young, the South Korean who went on to win gold, while the team consisting of Healey, Megan Havers and Bryony Pitman went out in the last 16.
Some soul searching followed as Healey tried to come to terms with the contrasting fortunes of elite sport.
“After the Games, I lost my love of archery a little bit,” she said.
“The Games was such a big thing for me and it happened so quickly, it just didn’t happen how I wanted it to.
“That is OK, somebody’s Games will go like that, that’s going to happen, but I lost my love for it a little bit then.
“I remember right before the Florida World Cup thinking ‘you know what, I could quit now, and I wouldn’t mind just shooting all day long’.”
Victory in that Stateside World Cup reminded Healey of her quality and she has gone on to enjoy an impressive season, particularly in light of an injury she picked up in April which has hampered her throughout.
A persistent shoulder problem ruled her out of the World Championships but Healey bounced back to finish sixth in the season-ending World Cup Final and has climbed back up to fourth in the world.
“To still be competitive while injured was huge to me, it was quite emotional,” she said.
“It gave me a tonne of confidence. I finished that competition, called my mum and said if that’s how I can shoot when I have a torn shoulder, when I’m better, I’m going to be pretty good. I’ll be back to like I was when I was world number one.
“There has been a lot of rest this year, which I’m not used to. You know when you get ‘hangry’, I get like that with archery.
“Having to take a week and a half, two weeks off was different for me, I’ve not done that before.
“It was refreshing in the sense of learning how to cope with that and knowing I need to listen to my body.”
Healey is also using her experiences to offer advice to her younger teammates in the squad, including Havers, who made her Olympic debut aged just 16 last year.
“At the time, when I got to number one, I really struggled with it,” she said.
“I got to the top and didn’t know what to do, as I didn’t realise that was going to happen so soon.
“I know what to do now, and what not to do. I know what mental work I need to do, which is really helpful.
“I have had a lot of achievements happen at a very young age and that has helped me a lot now that I’m 20 years old.
“It is also great with the team in this cycle. I can say ‘I was your age when this happened, I’m happy to help you’. Anything they need from a teammate or friend perspective, I’m here.
“My one thing is making sure you keep enjoying it. One thing I needed to learn is when you don’t shoot well, you still have to have fun.
“That is one thing I am trying to pass down. OK, you might be having a bad day, but how can we make it better?”
Healey has a busy winter ahead, moving into her own house while still mucking in on the family farm – looking after animals including her fabled emu Freddy.
But her thoughts are never too far from the range and her long-term ambitions are clear.
“I remember finishing Paris, turning round to my psychologist and saying ‘I’m never going to perform like that again at an Olympic Games’,” she said.
“I will work harder and next time I will bring back a medal.”
Sportsbeat 2025