Stories about the Medieval archers of Europe inspired Alec Potts to pick up a bow.
"I can remember thinking I was really good, but looking back I probably wasn't that good when I first started," he says.
"But I was hooked from the moment I started."
He developed his talent while growing up in the UK, but his drive to join the elite ranks of archery began a decade ago when he saw others competing in his first national competition.
"The big kids that rocked up in their AIS [Australian Sports Commission] gear and the coaches wandering around, this is when I found out archery was an Olympic sport, I had no idea before then."
As his passion grew, so did the silverware in the Potts family pool room. The walls crowded with certificates, medals and darts in bullseyes.
His mother, Shona, says the accolades involved plenty of family sacrifices.
Source: SBS
"His sister Emily went back to school and the kids were talking about where they went on their Easter break," she says.
"One girl said she went to Vietnam and did these amazing things, and Emily said she went to Eltham because that's where the youth nationals were."
But she adds she is proud of him.
Potts is part of the trio that in 2015 helped Australia's archery team qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics, but it wasn't until May that his position on the team was confirmed.
AIM Archery's Debbie Popov-Conroy says in the end athletes like Alec, who have a strong mental game, come out on top.
"Everyone's got the skill to hit a 10 but doing it continually and under pressure, it's very much the mindset," says Popov-Conroy.
"And I think he's the whole package."
It's been over a decade since Australia has won an archery medal. Simon Fairweather collected Australia's first archery gold in 2000, while Tim Cuddihy took a bronze medal in 2004.
Alec Potts says Australian archers are aiming for a podium finish as a team, but he's also got his own ambition.
"You go over there and you perform and do alright, and you're an Olympian and it's great.
"But imagine winning a medal, that's something you'll remember for the rest of your life."
