“They say it’s about the journey, and it’s true. I am proud to see how Kiana has grown in skill by sharpening her mental and physical abilities. Kiana is a little warrior, and I am more than proud of her,” father Calvin Davis said.

After being invited to try out archery for the first time at 7- years old, junior Kiana Davis quickly fell in love with the sport. 

“We have a family friend whose son was trying archery out, and they invited me to join him one time. After that experience, I stuck with archery,” Davis said. “Archery gives me an escape, and it gives me a chance to just channel all of my attention into one thing.”

After deciding to continue with archery, Davis needed a teacher to help her perfect her technique, as well as her mental and physical capabilities. Luckily, ex-archer C. Davis stepped in and stood by her side, serving as her instructor, father, and friend. 

“I see myself as her father, then her friend, and finally as her coach for now. I say for now because Kiana has surpassed what I could do a long time ago,” C. Davis said. “What she really needs now is a level 5 archery professional coach to take her onto more professional tournaments. [However], seeing her grow has been a blessing, and the hours of conversations while driving are priceless.”

As her father coached her throughout the years, Davis looked up to her father as her inspiration to improve. And, after hearing about an old MN friend of hers heading to the World Archery Championships, Davis’ motivation to excel was driven even further. 

“My dad has helped me for so long with learning archery that he was and has been someone I look up to. Also, Raegan Bender is someone that I look up to because she is someone I shot with that has now actually gone to the World Archery Championships. She has been a really big inspiration for me,” Davis said.  

With both her father by her side and a fiery motivation to improve, Davis has traveled to a number of states to compete in tournaments that would help her improve and see where she is at with her game. Through her travels, Davis has been able to have experiences that not many people have had. 

“It is very eye-opening to be a part of archery as I have been able to travel to many places. Without archery, I don’t think I would have been able to go to any of these places, and so, being able to just expand my world is just great. What’s also nice is that I always have fun, and so, I always leave with new and amazing memories,” Davis said. 

Along with the good memories of traveling, Davis and her father have experienced some troubling times, causing Davis to have to think quickly on her feet. 

“A memory I hold onto is when I went to South Dakota because I had a lot of equipment problems. My string on my bow was really worn out, and we weren’t able to get a replacement on time before the tournament,” Davis said. “Because I could no longer rely on the equipment, I had to rely on myself. I had been practicing back tension release. Although I was new at it, I couldn’t rely on my equipment, and so, I tried it and did well,” Davis said. 

In the future, Davis hopes to take archery to the next level by competing in the World Archery Championships, as well as opening a new archery range here in Omaha, NE. 

“I really want to try to go into the World Championships, but I also want to open up my own range. After the range here closed down, I have wanted to share archery with the people in the city. I think it would be a great business opportunity, and I think archery could be a big sport here in Omaha, Nebraska,” Davis said.