Jiayi (Joy) Yuan '31 returned home with a gold medal after representing Canada at the 2026 Pan American Youth and Masters Championships in Medellín, Colombia May 24 to 28.
The Grade 7 St. Michaels University School student competed in the Compound Under-15 category, placing third in the individual qualification round with a score of 670 before teaming up with Alberta's Cole Cahill in the mixed team event. The pair defeated Colombia in the semifinal and took down Mexico in the gold medal match with a score of 157, setting a new championship event record and earning Canada its first gold medal of the championships.
It was Joy's first international competition, a milestone made more challenging when her bow case was delayed in transit and arrived only shortly before competition began. She stayed composed, and the results followed.
"I think the most important thing is to trust my teammate," Joy told Oak Bay News. "If one of us shot a nine, the other person just tried to shoot a good arrow and keep the team going."
Joy has been competing in compound archery for four years and already holds multiple Canadian and BC titles at the U13 and U15 levels, along with BC U15 women's compound records in both indoor and outdoor competition.
Her father, Xiao Yuan, said Joy faced real challenges during the trip but learned a lot and was proud to represent Canada.
"The best moment was hearing the Canadian national anthem," Joy said. "It was played because of what we did, and that made me feel very proud."
