Every Person has a different beginning to their Legacy. Mine begins with my parents, the instictual drive past down from my Father, and instilled core values. I've come to realize today the truth is, it actually began sooner; the day I took my first step. That is an incredible scary moment for children, but we all eventually have to take make that motion.

 

          As far as I can remember, around the age of 4 or sooner, I constantly asked to go out in the woods with my Father to join him in his hunt, with hope of a blessed return with the game that he sought out at the time.  At times we would leave empty handed and other times we left the woods with joy and excitement to carry out organic meat that would feed the family.  I was immediately drawn to every aspect of hunting. Bow, Firearm, and just being in the woods, it didn’t matter I was happy.

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            I immediately wanted a bow and was gifted the little red compound bow.  Right away I had a natural eye hitting the the center.  This natural eye, my amazing my parents, went out and purchased tournament arrows and set me on my way to 3D tournaments.  As I grew, the targets were able to be shot at from a farther distance and the bows got bigger and better.  Every time I was shooting a bow nothing else mattered, the stressors  of life went away.  Just a peaceful motion of drawing the bow and releasing the arrow.  My Father told me that if I stuck with not only Hunting, but archery in particular, big things could happen in my future.  He was right.

 

            At the age of 12, legal age to take a deer by bow in Michigan at the time, I took my first deer.  Every hunting season from there on I went on and hunted.  I had my successful seasons as well as unsuccessful, but every time leaving the woods with a learning experience and looking at ways I can better myself for the next hunt.  But this isn’t “Beyond the Bow.”

 

            In 2013, I sat down and thought, “I wanted to do more with archery, something that many have not attempted.” I wanted to take a passion of mine that is mentally uplifting and therapeutic and do something amazing with it.  I contacted a Hospital that treated individuals for various illnesses and asked if I could host an archery shoot to benefit the cause there.  Upon approval I attempted this journey, but after a few months in, I realized I was being faced with failure due to a lack of financial sources and structure.  This didn’t stop me, failure pushed me forward. 90% is mental the other 10% is what you put in.

            There is 86,400 seconds in a day and it takes just 1 second to initiate change! I took the necessary means to initiate this breathtaking change; including networking individuals, a study during my college education, and research to develop a nonprofit organization.  After dedicated time, filings and two years of patience, in 2015 I was able to incorporate a nonprofit 501c3 charitable organization, known as Shoot for Life, Corp with a purpose driven mission as my vision.  This charitable corporation was developed to directly help individuals through designed programs at our events and work with organizations that research and/or treat life-altering illnesses. Little did I truly recognize at the time that this idea is my WHY and our why is our PURPOSE.

 

            I wanted to bring a charitable organization that used the passion many have for archery and outdoor activities to help raise funding and awareness for various illnesses from PTSD to childhood illnesses. There is an outstanding amount of hunters, archers and outdoor enthusiast across the world that love to support a a great cause, hospital, research, facility, etc.  So why not combine the best of both worlds for the great purpose? Today we are now helping veterans, first responders, and those who face PTSD discover a new place of peace by getting them behind a bow, to change their focus, and to help people find a new means of finding relief when practicing with their bow.

 

            This is my, “Beyond the Bow.”  I encourage others to go beyond the bow; help teach a child or adult to shoot bow, help out an organization that incorporates what you love to do to help others, or help out your local archery facility with an event that helps others by any means.  When your purpose comes around, seize it, don't turn the other way. You are your own limit.

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-Tom D. Spisz

Founder