Who was Mieczyslaw Nowakowski?

Mieczysław Nowakowski has got his place in history of polish archery as a coach of numerous sportsmen. He worked in clubs: Łączność, Marymont, Syrena. He was a mentor of successful archers like Tomasz Leżański - olympian, participant of Olympic Games in Monachium, repeatedly a polish national record holder, individual silver medalist of Para-Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and a team silver medalist in Para-Olympics Atlanta 1996. He also coached Ewa Zalewska - polish national champion in 1961 and Irena Ulatowska - fabulous archers, who won a number of times polish national championship. Irena Ulatowska together with Maria Mączyńska and Hanna Brzezińska won th bronze medal in World Championships in USA 1969.

In the sixties he coached Maria Mączyńska - individual World Champion in multi-discipline event in 1967, olympian from Monachium, where she took the sixth place. She was also a World Record holder for nine times and six times polish champion. She fought for years with large number of problems, which prevented her from winning firs prizes. "I used to shoot left-handed for a couple of years, because I could not close my left eye. Decision of my colleagues and coaches could be only one: I had to shoot right-handed. Easy to say it was, harder to do. I trained that but I was not devout to the idea. Only when I moved to Warsaw, Nowakowski convinced me that I was going to shoot very well. I believed him." This belief paid for itself - this petite woman became one of the best archers in the world, an estimable successor of Janina Kurkowska-Spychajowa and Katarzyna Wiśniowska. Her colleagues used to call her Robin Hood in a skirt.

In the seventies Mieczysław Nowakowski has moved to Italy where he coached the national team. In 1972 in Monachium for the first time the italian team took part in the Olympic Games. It was under Nowakowski's guidance italian archers prepared for the games: Sante Spigarelli, Alfredo Massazza and Giancarlo Ferrari. The latter was an individual bronze medalist from Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980 Olympics.

Nowakowski knew how to use abilities, how to stimulate archers to hard word that does not give immediate results. He cooperated in creation of so-called polish archery school. He worked out his own training methods and changed the way of thinking about technique in archery. Coaches and archers from all over the world started learning from Poles the new way of shooting that used much less force. He also knew that not only physical training was important - so it was self-confidence given by well fitted equipment. It was him who invented a number of utilities that pushed forward archery equipment: clicker and stabilizer were his original ideas that he introduced to help archers in perfecting their technique. Shortly after being presented during an international competition these inventions spread all over the world. Not protected by any patents they helped in achieving better results and improving technique in general. It is worth remembering that the ideas of advanced contemporary archery equipment first appeared in polish coach's mind.

But he is mainly remembered as a fantastic tutor, good man and friend. He was able to rouse love to archery, one who could hold on this difficult way of overcoming limits and troubles that came across during every day training process.

Last year the competition was honored by the presence of Maria Mączyńska with her husband. Among senior competitors the third place was taken by Tomasz Leżański. It was a very good occasion to try FITY shooting at the beginning of the season. The weather was splendid a we hope the organization was good as well.

We would like the Memorial of Mieczysław Nowakowski to become an archery fest that would attract competitors from all over Poland and also an event promoting the idea of archery as a form of recreation and an active way of spending time. As a part of last year competition there has been also a traditional archery tournament was held that consisted of a few events to check archer's skills. Historical outfit and equipment could be seen. The competition was open to everyone who owns a traditional bow.