For cousins Daphne Manuelle M. Uyking and Jasmin Jane U. Lim, archery goes beyond hitting the target. It has become a shared journey shaped by missed shots, steady discipline, and strong family ties.
As the 2026 Palarong Pambansa in Agusan approaches, the Davao City-based Davao Region archers carry more than bows and arrows. They bring a bond that continues to shape them on and off the range.
Uyking, a Grade 9 student at Davao Christian High School–CPG Campus, heads into her third Palaro. Lim, also a Grade 9 student from the school’s V. Mapa Campus, will compete in her second.
They train side by side, pushing each other through long hours of repetition. Together, they refine their stance, anchor, and release while working for consistency across distances from 30 to 70 meters.
Lim narrowly missed the podium in Ilocos Norte last year, finishing fifth in her Palaro debut.
“Not really… na nervous ako if maybe some people improved (I was nervous thinking others might have improved),” she said.
Instead of slowing down, Lim returned to training with renewed focus. She trained four times a week, tightened her shot grouping, and improved control. The work paid off at the 2026 Davao Regional Athletic Association meet, where she won one gold and six silver medals.
“Try to get isang medal (I’ll try to get at least one medal),” she said.
Uyking enters the national meet with strong momentum after a dominant showing in the Davraa Meet 2026 in Tagum City last February, where she swept eight gold medals.
“I kind of expected like five golds but I didn’t expect getting all eight golds,” she said.
Despite the sweep, Uyking keeps working on her shot cycle, focusing on consistency and control.
She discovered archery at age 11 after trying different sports.
“I really like archery because of the way the arrow hit the target. The sound of the arrow reaching the target is so satisfying,” she said.
Her interest soon spread within the family. Today, four members actively compete in the sport.
Lim’s siblings—Abigail Jane Lim, a Grade 11 student at Davao Christian High School, and Phil Justin Lim, a Grade 8 student at Philippine Science High School—also compete as compound archers in Batang Pinoy and World Archery-sanctioned events, both locally and abroad.
Coach John-John Uyking leads the Davao Region girls’ archery team bound for Agusan on May 23, guiding the athletes as they sharpen both form and focus.
Uyking and Lim will compete in multiple events: 30m, 50m, 60m, 70m, and the Olympic round, with possible slots in team competitions.
Behind their steady rise lies more than talent. They commit to improving after every off-target shot—making adjustments, staying patient, and stepping back to the line with purpose.
For the cousins, each draw of the bow carries years of practice, family support, and quiet belief.
In Agusan, they aim not just to win, but to prove that discipline, resilience, and family can carry them through—one shot at a time.
