By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

In October, local Gus Burtts got the opportunity to experience a moment he’d imagined in his mind for years. After thousands upon thousands of practice arrows, the Moore County native lifted his bow and won a collegiate national championship in archery.

With shaky legs and a mind filled with determination, he aimed – calling upon a lifetime of muscle memory – a landed not a perfect shot but one good enough to win. It’s a lesson in preparation and living in the moment.

A Family Affair

Gus grew up in the southern end of Moore County with his family: parents, Lori and Hoss, and an older brother, Wyatt, and two sisters, Skylee and Mika. He graduated from Moore County High School in 2022 before heading to Kentucky to pursue a degree in mathematics. He and Wyatt are the only two Moore County students to attend a four year college on an archery scholarship. Wyatt graduated from Lindsay Wilson University in May and Gus is now a senior there

For Gus, archery was never just a sport – it was a family rhythm. His parents always looked for things they could do together as a family, and one day, that became arrows and bows.

“The first one I ever shot, my dad made,” Gus said with a grin. “It was wooden. I think I broke it.”

By the time he was nine, he was competing in 4-H matches – his mom started the local program, which for a while consisted mostly of the Burtts clan. But it grew. And so did Gus. He and his older brother were neck and neck through childhood – both best buddies and fierce competitors.

“I had a lot of silver medals growing up because he was just a little better than me,” Gus said. “I learned how to lose long before I learned how to win.”

That early mix of creativity, competition, and closeness built the foundation for what would become a national championship mindset.

His Process

Today, Gus is a senior at Lindsay Wilson University in Columbia, Kentucky, balancing the life of a mathematics major with that of a national collegiate archer. His training is both physical and mental – a mix of repetition and restraint.

“There are times I’ll shoot a thousand arrows a week,” he said. “Four or five hours a day, just building repetition and muscle memory.”

But he’s learned to practice with precision, not exhaustion.

 “In competition, you only score 40 arrows, so I intentionally practice less. It makes each shot matter.”

It’s a form of self-imposed scarcity, and it’s what allows him to stay calm when pressure mounts.

“I know my knees will shake, I know I’ll feel weak,” he said. “But I’ve been there before. My body knows what to do even when my mind starts to spin.”

Going Against the Grain

Growing up in Moore County, archery wasn’t exactly a crowd sport.

“Nobody around me knew what I was doing,” Gus said. “They just knew I’d disappear for a week or two.”

That kind of isolation might discourage some, but for Gus, it built an edge. He says that competing in a small town away from the crowds taught him self-reliance.

“Nobody outside my family was going to praise me if I had a good day,” he said. “So, I learned early that motivation had to come from me.”

That independence carries over into how he competes. In 3D archery, where shooters aim at lifelike animal targets, some players play it safe. Not Gus.

“People say you can be too aggressive,” he said. “I don’t agree. Sometimes you just miss. You shake it off and go for the next one.”

Perfecting Something

Ask Gus what archery has taught him, and he doesn’t hesitate.

“There’s a lot of life to be found in the pursuit of perfecting something,” he said. “You learn about the world, about yourself – about wisdom.”

In archery, he says he’s learned not to get too caught up in perfection. It’s that kind of live-in-the-moment attitude that allows him to excel under pressure. It’s also a great life lesson.

“If I get too attached to perfection, I lose the love for it,” he said. “You have to be okay with missing sometimes.”

He carried that mindset with him into the national championship. The final shots weren’t his best, he admits, but they were enough – and they came from a place of trust.

“I’d been in that situation so many times,” he said. “I knew how it would feel. I trusted the work I’d already done.”

What’s Next

Now that he’s a national champion, Gus is still shooting for more – two more national events this year, to be exact.

“It’d be really cool if I could pull those off,” he said with a soft laugh, the kind that belongs to someone who knows he just might.

He’s also thinking about how to give back.

“I’d love to come home and teach someday,” he said. “I’d like to see how the sport grows and maybe coach. I’m just not sure what opportunities there are yet.”

And, true to form, he’s quick to share the spotlight.

“I need to credit ThreadZ Custom Bowstrings, Elite Archery, and Gold Tips Arrows,” he said. “They’ve helped me a lot.”

It’s clear that no matter how far his aim takes him, Gus Burtts will always carry Moore County with him – steady hands, humble heart, and a belief that every arrow, like every moment, is a chance to do something just a little bit better than before. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a nonpartisan, independent community newspaper serving Lynchburg, Tennessee and the surrounding counties. We not only cover local events but also volunteer our time and resources to make sure they are a success. You can support us, by clicking here.}