Reddam House Umhlanga learner crowned world champion at indoor archery championships in Argentina
Danya Thompson was crowned 2025 world champion at the IFAA World Indoor Archery Championships (WIAC) in Santa Clara del Mar, Argentina.
Image: Supplied
Danya Thompson, 17, has been crowned 2025 world champion at the IFAA World Indoor Archery Championships (WIAC) in Santa Clara del Mar, Argentina.
Competing in the Young Adult Female Freestyle Unlimited (YAFFU) category, Thompson, a Grade 12 learner at Reddam House, topped the podium after three intense rounds of competition. The championships, held from 3 to 8 November 2025, brought together 267 archers from 14 countries, ranging in age from around 10 to 70, in what the International Field Archery Association describes as its “family of archers”.
Thompson was part of a 12-strong South African team that enjoyed an exceptional tournament, returning home with six gold medals and five silver medals.
Despite shooting in an under-21 category and being the youngest in her age group, Thompson led from the very first day. After the opening standard indoor round at 20 yards, she finished eight points ahead.
Day two’s Flint round – which demands accuracy at multiple distances (20 feet, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 yards) and is not commonly shot in KwaZulu-Natal – was especially challenging, but she held on to a solid lead.
“In the last round I started shooting and the gap started to close,” she recalls. “I sat on the chair at half time and gave myself a pep talk – and apparently it was pretty decent because I then shot one of the best rounds in my second half.”
Danya Thompson was part of a 12-strong South African team that enjoyed an exceptional tournament, returning home with six gold medals and five silver medals.
Image: Supplied
Her composure under pressure paid off. Thompson extended her lead to secure the world title by six points. Standing on the podium, she says, was almost beyond words: “Unbelievable – I don’t think there are words to describe that feeling. I felt grateful in a way too.”
Back home, Thompson is not only a world champion archer but also a provincial water polo player and committed learner. College Head, Shelley Peringuey, says Thompson's success reflects the kind of sporting culture Reddam House Umhlanga is building.
“Danya’s world title says everything about the kind of sporting culture we’re building here: one where hard work, courage and real joy in sport sit side by side,” says Peringuey. “She’s a provincial water polo player, and now a world champion archer. That tells you we’re creating an environment where students can be genuinely all-round, dream big and thrive across different codes.”
Supporting high-performance athletes also means backing them academically.
“Whenever Danya has had to travel or train, her teachers work closely with her and her family to keep her on track – catch-ups, extra sessions, lots of communication,” Peringuey explains. “She came home from the world championships and literally started writing exams the next day… and even earned Academic Half Colours. That kind of grit makes supporting her an absolute pleasure.”
Thompson has credited her support system: “I’m very lucky to have my parents, friends, family and a school that supported me fully. It made it easier to believe I could do this – to get through studying, projects and practising with any spare time I had at home.”
Beyond medals and scores, WIAC offered powerful moments of connection and inspiration. A dedicated “Women in Sport” gathering brought together female archers to share experiences and talk about supporting women in the sport, including those affected by serious illness. “I felt so inspired – maybe because it hit a little close to the heart, and also because people who have fought so hard against it deserve to be happy and enjoy life again,” Thompson says.
She treasures the friendships formed at the event. “The friendships I made will definitely last forever. It truly means the world to me knowing that the motto of a ‘family of archers’ is real and thriving because we all have each other’s backs – and that’s so valuable to have in life.”
For Danya, the world title is a milestone, not a finish line. “My goal is to keep shooting and having fun,” she says. “Next year I’m going to start shooting outdoors to begin the qualifying process for the Olympics. They only added my bow style for the 2028 Olympics as a team event last year, so now I finally have the opportunity to try qualify for it. That’s the next big goal.”