The Ultimate Motivator

Days ago, I was transported back in time.

This weekend, I had the good fortune of celebrating a friend’s birthday at medieval camp. Good Knights Entertainment in the small town of Three Hills, Alberta, offers an immersive glamping experience with a medieval twist. It’s a place where farmland meets thoughtful landscaping; where ruggedness compels the visitor to believe they have been transported back in time, while simultaneously feeling comfortable and safe among the mowed grass and trodden trails.

Beyond the landscape, evidence of the founders’ passion is found in hand-sewn costumes with inclusive sizing, numerous well-constructed and clean lodging options, and an array of activity offerings.

Of these activities, more than half are physical and include archery, sword fighting, and nature walking. Archery, a sport I was introduced to during middle-school gym class, caught my eye during our visit.

During those months of gym class, each time I approached a bow, I transformed. With each step, the millennium era fell away to a medieval one.  Denim jeans, layered tank tops, and rubber sneakers morphed into a cotton tunic over a linen chemise and velvety leather slippers. An internal fierceness would transport my body from the gymnasium to high hills above a trembling army or dense forest. For war or for hunting, I felt within me an adrenaline rush that demanded my focus and attention.  

Then I’d meet the bow. Moulding my fingers around the plastic grip, my left hand would ready itself as my right hand clipped the arrow’s nock into its corresponding point on the string with a satisfying click.

What followed was my favourite part. As I lifted the bow to eye level, my right fingers would roll the string confidently from my palm into the secure notch of my third knuckles, my pointer finger firmly trapping the arrow against the bow. A tilt to the left would begin my pullback, and nothing felt more satisfying than when my middle finger grazed the corner of my mouth and rested, ready to launch, ready for battle.

This is the image I had in mind when I approached the bow at Good Knights. There I was in the medieval garb that had once been mere imagination. This was my dream-come-true moment.

Though the arrow was missing because we were there to pose for photos and not engage in an archery lesson (we were a group of gals that chose moments of chatter over planned events during this particular visit), I approached the setup with imaginative vigor. I was about to be the strong female triumphing in an era when women were given little to no recognition outside of their homes.

We lined up. We grabbed the bows. My left hand welcomed the sweet caress of the grip. The right hand readied and I drank up excitement as I rolled the string along my fingers. My cheek quaked with anticipation of being kissed by my fingertip. So I pulled back. I pulled back. I—pulled—back—I…couldn’t. I was thirteen the last time I drew back a bow. It had felt so easy, yet over half a lifetime later, I couldn’t even bring the string close to my face.

I was stunned and disappointed. Instead of being transported to the harsh hills of the 14^th century, or even to the body-odoured gymnasium of 2 decades ago, I became grossly aware of my reality.

Where medieval women had strength built from hauling heavy fabrics, tending to their gardens, and hoisting children as they scrubbed and laboured over the household chores, my strength has been worn away from a life of easy-glide mops, portable vacuums, laundry and dishwashing machines, and cartoons. I’m not fighting raiding outlaws, fending off wild animals, or walking kilometers a day to market. I’m reading on a couch, sweating over a stovetop, or driving the 700 meters uphill to our school when we’re running late.

Once again, I am faced with the reality that if I want to meet my fitness goals, I need to do more than dream of other me’s in other worlds.

If you are an archer, I respect you and ask that you reserve judgment on my naivety regarding your sport. It is an art and a strength to use a bow and arrow. Perhaps this will finally motivate me to work on that strength-building that my doctor has encouraged me to do for some time now. Who knew that a journey across Alberta and through my memory would be the ultimate motivator?

I hope to visit Good Knights again to partake in all of their immersive activities, and I will be testing my fitness growth at the archery range. May all my disappointments in life spur me into healthy lifestyle choices. Here’s hoping I hit the bullseye on this one.

Please visit www.goodknights.ca to learn about this incredible business. If you find yourself on the Albertan plains or aching to fulfill a childhood dream, stay for a visit.