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From youth campto Senior Olympics

A wooden bow holds a place of honor in an archer's success.

By KELLIE DIXON, Times Staff Writer
Published September 4, 2007

BROOKSVILLE

The wooden bow isn't as fancy as ones used in archery today. But George Denilen, 75, won't get rid of it. The old-fashioned bow helped him rehab from major shoulder injury and reach a high point of his sport.

This summer the multiple state and regional champion won gold at the National Senior Games in Kentucky for the 75-79 year-old division in barebow compound.

Denilen was 12 years old when he received his first bow. The wooden bow was a present from his counselor at a camp in Ohio.

Every day, the children were assigned to different activities, and the first one young George got was archery. He never left. For two weeks, he showed up everyday, often beating the instructor to class. At the end of camp, the teacher awarded the youngster the bow.

"It was intriguing," Denilen said. "I had never done anything like that before."

Denilen carried the bow with him whenever he moved and starting shooting competitively in 1958 after he had served five years in the Navy.

He racked up the accolades, earning nine state field titles and several regional and international ones. He was inducted into the Florida Archery Hall of Fame in 1992.

But disaster struck in 2000.

He was moving furniture and injured both of his rotator cuffs. He had surgery to repair the left one, which was completely torn, in 2000.

His right shoulder was a little trickier. He had torn three of the four muscles in his right shoulder, and he said the doctor advised against operating on it.

The doctor also told Denilen that he never would shoot again. That didn't work for Denilen.

This is a guy who chose to roller skate during his free time in the service rather than chill with buddies over a beer.

So for five years after the injury, Denilen spent free time tugging on that wooden bow he got as a child.

Little by little, he built up his strength and increased his mobility. In 2006, he was competing again.

This summer, he reached the top of his game, winning gold at the Senior Olympics, which were held in Old Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky. There he also set a record with his overall score of 1363.

Recently, he received a letter from Gov. Charlie Crist to congratulate him.

"It had me scared," Denilen said. "I thought 'Why am I getting a letter from the governor?' "

But when he read the letter, Joyce Denilen said tears shone in her husband's eyes.

George Denilen still shoots, and he still has that wooden bow.

The retiree spends much of his day either tending to his 5 acres or shooting on his makeshift targets behind their house in Hernando County. It's so spread out that his wife bought a black bell at a flea market that she'll ring to let him know he's needed in the house.

George Denilen doesn't plan on defending his title because of the travel involved, but occasionally he'll teach a youngster how to shoot.

"There are no tricks of the trade," Denilen said. "It's getting someone to teach you form. Form is 98 percent of archery."

Denilen, thanks to his wooden bow and work ethic, never lost his.

Contact Kellie Dixon at kdixon@sptimes.com or 352 544-9480.

[Last modified September 3, 2007, 20:07:10]