PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Since she was 10 years old, Alexis Ruiz has been spending her days at the archery range. Every morning, she wakes up at the crack of dawn to get her practice in. “I try to practice six to seven days a week. I do try to shoot at least two hours a day if I can,” Ruiz said.
After years of trying, her hard work finally paid off. Ruiz has been part of Team USA for nearly five years. “I’ve been competing nationally since I was 13, and I made Team USA the first time when I was 18.”
When she’s not on the range, Ruiz is fulfilling her other dream. “I’ve known I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was a little kid,” she said.
Since June, Ruiz has been working for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “I was a patient here when I hurt my shoulder at one point for shooting and just the way they treated me, I was like, I want to be here. This is where I want to work.”
Ruiz works three 10-hour shifts but still makes time for her archery. Just recently, her team won gold at the World Archery Championships. “It’s incredible. This is the first time the USA won gold for mixed teams, so I’m really glad to be a part of that,” Ruiz said.
Now, her next goal is to make it to the Olympics. “I shoot a compound bow, and there’s different styles. The recurve bow and arrows are what are used in the Olympics currently. So, they’re thinking about adding compound bows for 2028. I really hope we make it,” Ruiz said.
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