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Vic Wunderle Olympic Individual Silver and Team Bronze Medalist 2000 Sydney
Olympic Team 2004 Athens Olympic Team 2008
Beijing Olympic Team
Pan-American Games 7 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 2-time Individual Jr. World Champion 44-time United States National Champion
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| Photo: Giovanni Laudicina |
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Meet
Me
Hi, my name
is Victor Wunderle. My friends call me Vic. I was raised in Mason City, Illinois where
I have spent the majority of my life. This is the area in which most of my family resides.
I began shooting archery at the age
of five. Both my father and grandfather shot archery for hunting and recreation. As
for me, I guess there is just something with little boys and anything that shoots, whether it is a slingshot, BB gun, or bow
and arrow. My first bow was made from a limb off of the willow tree in my back yard. My
father gave me an arrow he had taped a piece of cloth around the end of so I couldn’t hurt anyone. I
would run around the yard all day shooting at trees with my newly acquired toy.
A couple of years later my father brought me to an archery tournament
with him. Unbeknown to me, I won the under 12 age category. I was too young to read
the score board and my father would not tell me that I had won because he was afraid I would be too excited the remainder
of the day. At the end of the tournament, the awards were given out. All of the kids
got participation medals except for me. I felt a little sad because I was left out. Then
the awards were given for third place, second place, and finally when it was time for first, my name was called.
I had won my very first tournament! From there I went on to many other local, state sectional, national,
and finally world titles.
After graduating
from Illini Central high school in 1994, I began college at Texas A&M University. At Texas A&M,
I competed on the pistol, rifle, archery, and fishing teams. I won and placed in tournaments from a local
level to national championships. On several occasions I took off from school and work to train full time
for the Olympics and the Olympic tryouts. I finally graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree
in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences in December, 2002. During my training and travels, I also took classes
at Bradley University, San Diego State University, Blinn College, and Collin County Community College.
I tried out for the US Olympic archery team 3 times before I made it. In 1992,
as a 16 year old boy, I finished 16th place in the tryouts. In 1996, I finished 6th
place in the Olympic trials. I lost to the best in the world though as our team went on to win the Olympic
Gold Medal that year. In the 2000 Olympic trials, I finished an exciting first place by almost a 100-point
margin. I spent the year training at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego and at my parents’
home in Illinois. I then got to travel to Sydney, Australia and represent the US in the world’s greatest
sporting event where I was fortunate enough to bring home an Olympic Individual Silver Medal and a Team Bronze Medal.
Four years later, I again finished
first in the US Olympic trials and went to Athens, Greece to represent the United States. In the individual competition,
I was defeated by the eventual Olympic Gold Medalist by a mere point in my quarter-final match, landing me in 8th place.
In the team competition, I shot well but the team came up one point short of winning our semi-final match that would have
assured us either a gold or silver medal. The bronze medal then escaped our grasp by two points landing the team in
the 4th place position, just out of the medals. I ended the Beijing, China Olympics with a 6th place individual finish and a 9th place team finish.
Although I was unable to bring home a medal I certainly had some exciting moments including upsetting the reigning world champion
and number one ranked archer in the world. I became the only archer to make the final 8 in the 2000, 2004, and
2008 Olympics.
I am continuing to compete, most recently finishing 5th at the 2016 World Field Championships in Ireland.
Additionally, I am doing more private coaching, appearances, and events. Keep your eyes open and continue checking my website for many exciting adventures to come!
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