Geena Davis picked up a bow at 41 after watching the 1996 Olympics. She had no background in competitive sports. She practiced up to six hours a day. Two years later, she made the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic trials for Sydney 2000. About 300 women competed for a team spot.
Geena Davis Nearly Made the 2000 Olympics After Taking Up Archery at 41
Geena Davis had already won an Oscar and starred in some of Hollywood's most iconic films. But in 1997, at age 41, she found a new obsession - one that would take her further than almost anyone expected.
A Gold Medal on TV Started It All
While watching the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Davis became transfixed by American archer Justin Huish, who won two gold medals. She had never picked up a bow before, and freely admitted she had not been an athlete growing up. That did not stop her. She hired Huish himself as her first coach and started training almost immediately after the Games ended.
Her commitment went well beyond casual. Davis was soon practicing up to six hours a day, six days a week in a private yard in Los Angeles. Within six months she was entering local tournaments. Within a year she was competing nationally and internationally.
300 Women, One Team
By 1999, Davis had earned a wild-card berth at the Sydney International Golden Arrow competition in Australia - the same city that would host the 2000 Games. That same year, roughly 300 women competed for spots on the U.S. Olympic archery team. Davis made it through to the semifinals, held on August 21, 1999, at Brookdale Park in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Twenty-eight women competed in that round. She finished 24th. Only the top 16 advanced.
Her coach pointed to the weather as a factor: rain was rare for Davis, who trained exclusively in sunny California. "It's tough for us because we never get to practice in the rain," he said. "It caught her a little off guard."
What She Said About It
Davis did not downplay what she had done. "I've been fortunate to discover in my adult life that I have a fair amount of athletic ability," she said. She later described the experience as among the greatest athletic challenges of her life - more demanding, in its way, than any role she had played on screen.
She never stopped shooting. In later interviews she talked about the possibility of trying a different sport for future Olympic consideration. She also took pride in a wider effect: the 2012 films The Hunger Games and Brave sparked a wave of girls taking up archery - a sport Davis helped put in front of millions when she nearly made the team herself.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Geena Davis start archery?
How did Geena Davis do at the Olympic trials?
Did Geena Davis make the 2000 Olympic team?
Who coached Geena Davis in archery?
Did Geena Davis compete internationally in archery?
Verified Fact
Verified 2026-06-08. 6 sources checked. Primary source: cbsnews.com (CBS News post-event report, Aug 1999, confirms 24th/28 at semifinals, rain quote from coach Don Rabska) Supporting sources: Deseret News Aug 10 1999 (deseret.com - pre-semifinals, confirms 29th/300 qualifier, coach Don Rabska, semifinals scheduled); Mental Floss (24th/28, top 16 advanced); woa.tv archery-specific (confirms 24th/28 semifinalists); The Mirror (confirms same); Wikipedia (24th, contradicts semifinals claim - overridden by 5 contemporaneous sources). Claims checked: - Started at age 41 in spring 1997: CONFIRMED (multiple sources, born Jan 21 1956) - Inspiration: 1996 Olympics, Justin Huish two gold medals: CONFIRMED (Deseret News, Mental Floss) - Coaches: Justin Huish then Don Rabska: CONFIRMED (Deseret News) - Six hours/day practice: CONFIRMED (Deseret News says ~6h/day, CBS pre-event says 5h/day; 'up to six' is accurate) - Two years later (corrected from Three): CONFIRMED - spring 1997 to Aug 1999 = ~2y3m; CBS source says 'about two years ago' in Jul 1999 - Made semifinals: CONFIRMED - Deseret News, CBS (finalist of top 32), woa.tv, Mental Floss, Mirror all confirm - About 300 women competed: CONFIRMED (Deseret News, CBS, Mental Floss, Wikipedia all say ~300) - Semifinals result 24th of 28, top 16 advanced: CONFIRMED (CBS post-event, Mental Floss, woa.tv, Mirror) - Rain factor, coach attribution (Don Rabska): CONFIRMED - CBS post-event article, exact quote - No competitive sports background: CONFIRMED as accurate characterization (softened from 'never competed' which was an over-claim; sources say 'not an athlete growing up,' has high school sports experience) - Wild-card Sydney International Golden Arrow 1999: CONFIRMED (woa.tv) - Still practices archery: CONFIRMED (2024 source says she still shoots) Discrepancies found and corrected: 1. 'Three years later' changed to 'Two years later' in text, social_text, social_caption (every source says ~2 years) 2. 'never competed in a sport before' softened to 'no background in competitive sports' (sources say not an athlete growing up; Mental Floss notes she had high school sports experience - absolute claim was an over-claim superlative) 3. Caption 'finished 24th' expanded to 'finished 24th out of 28' for numeric coherence (reader otherwise anchors to the just-stated 300) 4. source_url updated from Deseret News (pre-semifinals, no 24th/28 data) to CBS News post-event article which supports the headline specific figure and rain quote 5. Wikipedia states she did NOT reach the semifinals; overridden by 5 contemporaneous/archery-specific sources. Noted in verification_notes.
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