A Year 9 pupil from Truro High School for Girls has been spotted as one of the most promising young archers in the country and selected for the Olympic Pathway Programme.    

Saffron Knowles, 13, has been observed by Team GB over the past year and was chosen due to her fantastic scores during the 2023 outdoor season.  

Saffron has shot a number of competitions this year, including the national Junior Archery Series in which she scored above her age category in the under-15s at a distance of 50m. Throughout the series, she did tremendously well, appearing on the podium at every event – the only competitor in her category to do so.  

At the Junior Masters Final in Gloucestershire, she was equal first until the final head-to-head where she narrowly missed out on the title by just one point. She also took a new national record in May, when shooting a double 122 at 40m with a score of 1,209.  

Saffron has been invited to join the prestigious national performance pathway, which identifies grassroots talents and prepares athletes to reach their potential as performance archers.  

Acting performance pathway manager Cait Leach described Saffron as “an exceptionally talented archer”, adding that she has been invited to the 2023/24 national age group academy, a select group of young athletes on the Archery GB Olympic Pathway Programme.    

The pathway includes a full schedule of shooting, strength and conditioning, personal development and attendance at training camps at their national archery performance centre in Shropshire. Saffron has her sights set firmly on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.  

Truro High School for Girls runs an aspiring athletes’ programme which provides mentoring, training and support for those playing sport at high levels.