Arrows, airports and toddlers: How the Schloessers juggle archery and parenthood

Dutch archer Mike Schloesser was doing what he does best: aiming for the perfect shot, with gentle waves rippling along the edges of the Archery Premier League in Hyderabad.

Schloesser, who represented the Mighty Marathas in the second season of the league, was back in the firing line. Far from reach, however, life has taken on a different rhythm since the arrival of his daughter Luna.

His wife Gaby Schloesser is an elite archer who won silver in the mixed team competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Mike competes in compound archery and both have spent years striving for success in their respective disciplines.

In an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in, they spoke about the trade-offs involved in raising a young child while competing internationally and how parenthood has changed their relationship with the sport.

Mike earned the nickname ‘Mr Perfect’ in 2015 when he became the first archer in history to shoot 600 out of 600 in an indoor 18m qualifying round, achieving the maximum possible score with all 60 arrows.

After more than two decades, he is still chasing big wins. But a bad day at the range doesn’t follow him home in quite the same way.

“Archery is no longer our main priority. Luna’s well-being comes first, and that’s been a really nice change,” says Mike.

WHEN THE PRIORITIES SHIFT

Before Luna arrived, much of the Schloessers’ lives were occupied by archery. A disappointing performance may have affected their mood long after the competition was over.

“Before we became parents, archery was pretty much our only priority. If things didn’t work out in our careers, we often took that frustration out into our relationships and our household,” says Mike.

“You can have a bad day at the range or a bad practice, but when you come home, the most important thing is that you’re a happy family. That puts things into perspective,” he says.

Gaby’s edit was different. After more than two decades of archery, she expected to remain as engrossed in her training as ever. She was surprised at how quickly it had changed.

“What surprised me the most was how comfortable I felt without training. I’ve been archery for 21 years and before I had Luna I thought I’d always be obsessed with training,” he says.

“I expected to feel like I needed to work out all the time. But now that I don’t have time to work out on a specific day, I’m fine with that.”

The change became more apparent when Gaby started rejecting competitions. The couple originally planned to travel everywhere with Luna, and they managed to do that for about a year. But international sport comes with firm commitments, from training camps to qualifying events.

“I wanted to be with her and saying no to competitions was also a way of accepting that my life had changed. It was okay to stay home,” says Gaby.

She still wants to race, but she no longer measures herself every day by how many practices she completed. Her definition of success has also changed.

“When Luna reaches a new milestone, whether it’s walking, talking or saying a new word, it’s like a victory,” she says.

“Winning medals and competing at the highest level are incredible experiences that few people get to experience, especially winning an Olympic medal. But having a child changes your life in a completely different way.”

“Luna has become my project now and seeing her grow is a different kind of success,” says Gaby.

THE ART OF JUGGLING

Traveling to international competitions requires careful planning. With a toddler, an itinerary has to accommodate a lot more than flights, practices and game schedules.

During the Premier League archery season, The Schloessers often worked out together as a family. Mike shot in the morning and Gaby and Luna joined him before returning to the finale venue.

“We shot for about 30 to 45 minutes in the morning and then I shot for another hour,” says Mike.

“After that we had lunch and usually went back to the finals venue. Gaby came to support us along with Luna and it was really nice to share the experience as a family.”

“As Luna gets older, starts walking and becomes more aware of what’s going on around her, travel becomes more challenging,” says Mike.

One trip to Las Vegas illustrated the difference between the two sides of their lives. Mike competed in the finals while Gaby tried to keep Luna calm and comfortable.

“I think I changed her diaper three times and fed her twice during the finale,” Gaby says.

The victory was worth all the effort.

“When Mike finally won, I felt that all the effort I put into keeping Luna calm was worth it,” she says.

Mike was delighted to win his wife and daughter there. But traveling together doesn’t always make sense, and the couple has to weigh the demands of each trip with their commitments at home.

“Sometimes we have to decide if an event is worth all the effort of flying around the world,” says Mike. “For now, traveling together is still worth it, even if it can be difficult at times.”

FOR BULLEYE

Mike has had to adjust his training since becoming a father. He cannot devote every available hour to archery, and family commitments sometimes take precedence over training.

“Being a dad has obviously changed my approach to my career. I don’t have time to put everything into archery because my family has to come first,” he says.

“Sometimes it’s hard not to be at the same level as before or not have the same amount of time to prepare.”

Mike believes that experience can compensate for preparation, which is not always ideal.

“Even though my preparation isn’t always optimal, I can draw from these experiences and perform at the level I did before Luna arrived,” he says.

His victory in Las Vegas was an important test of that belief. Mike didn’t train as much as he wanted, but he still won the big competition.

“Winning in Vegas showed me that I can still compete at the highest level, take the biggest competitions and win,” he says.

Gaby knows the work behind such a result, but she also understands when Mike needs space after a loss. The immediate aftermath of defeat is not always the time for reassurance.

“I’ve learned over the years that the moment right after a competition isn’t always the best time to talk to him, win or lose,” says Gaby.

“I give him 15 or 20 minutes to be upset, process what happened and have a moment to himself. Then I can talk to him and tell him I’m proud of him.”

At this year’s World Cup finals, Mike was upset after losing his first match. Gaby considered what she would want her trainer to do in the same situation and decided to leave him alone. They didn’t talk about the defeat afterwards.

“Understanding what an athlete needs in those moments comes from experiencing those emotions yourself,” he says.

Gaby’s own career remains important to her. Supporting Mike doesn’t mean giving up on her ambitions, even if family responsibilities force her to reconsider which competitions she can enter.

“I don’t want to say that my own career doesn’t matter anymore, because that’s not true,” he says.

“But sometimes when I don’t perform as well as I’d like in a competition, I can still think about how I helped him prepare and how I contributed to his journey. That’s a form of success for me, too.”

For Mike, their relationship never depended on their results.

“Our performances have never defined our relationship. We know each other as people, as partners and now as parents,” she says. “I think that matters a lot more to us than the success we achieve in archery.”

A NEW OLYMPIC GOAL

Another big target is Los Angeles 2028, where archery will make its Olympic debut. Mike has come close to qualifying for two previous editions and the chance to compete at the Games remains a significant ambition.

Nevertheless, he is still interested in what Olympic inclusion could mean for the sport.

“Personally, of course, I’m excited about the Olympic opportunity. But I think the most exciting thing for me is the exposure that comes with adding combined archery to the Olympics,” says Mike.

“This exposure gives us the opportunity to show our sport to the rest of the world.”

“I love archery and the archery community. I love competing in the sport, but it’s nice to be able to share it with a much wider audience,” he says.

“I feel like the Olympics bring a different level of recognition and to see such a beautiful sport like archery get that recognition is amazing.”

For Gaby, who won silver in the recurve mixed team event at Tokyo 2020, the prospect of Mike making it to his first Olympics has a personal meaning.

“Obviously competing in the Olympics is something very special. I feel like Mike lived a bit of that dream through me,” she says.

“I know he’s got the strength and the knowledge to go there and perform, so I think he’ll do great in his first Olympics.”

The two could potentially compete at the same Games, although qualification remains ahead. Mike could also take part in a mixed team event where his partnership with a teammate will matter.

Gaby competed in individual, team and mixed team recurve events. He knows how much trust matters when two athletes share the pressure of Olympic competition.

“I see him as a great example for anyone who will be shooting alongside him at the Olympics,” he says. “He has the experience and ability to help make this partnership work.”

He doesn’t consider Los Angeles a certainty either. For now, they’re taking one tournament after another and figuring out how their sporting commitments can fit into family life.

WORLD TOUR LUNA

Gaby began collecting photos of Luna in places where their sports careers took them. India, China and Mexico are among the countries in the growing family travel album.

Each picture captures a place that Luna might not remember when she gets older. Gaby hopes the photos will help her understand the life her parents shared with her from the beginning.

“Every time I take pictures of Luna in India or China or Mexico, I think about how I want her to look at those photos when she’s older and say, ‘Wow, I was there when I was little. My parents took me with them. My dad shot there and my mom shot there,'” says Gaby.

The photos will show the places where Mike competed and Gaby continued her own archery career. They also capture the years the couple learned to fit training, competition and parenting into one journey.

“I think those memories will mean a lot to her when she grows up. I want her to see that she was a part of our journey and that we tried to experience these things together as a family,” says Gaby.

When Luna is old enough to look through the album, she may not remember the airport or the pageants. She does, however, keep the photos Gaby took along the way, each one of a place she visited with her parents.

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