New Mexico archer aims for championship

Mar. 26—What if your life changed simply by following through on a New Year's resolution?

Monique Fragua is proof of how holding to a commitment that many abandon before Jan. 31 can create a new passion and change a person.

By day, Fragua is the chief operating officer of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. With dynamic energy, a sunny disposition and a bright smile on her face, she walks through the center saying hello to every person in the building.

When Fragua isn't at the cultural center, educating and promoting for the pueblos, she is placing an arrow quiver on her hip at the Archery Shoppe.

The business is an archer's dream, doubling as both an indoor shooting range and a retail shop. The shop offers repairs , too, so an archer can get bows souped-up and shooting-ready again.

As an Archery Shoppe ambassador, Monique is a frequent presence at the store. She is comfortable enough to walk in and get exactly what she needs whenever she comes by to shoot, which is quite regularly.

She still walks through the store, making jokes to every patron in the building. As she suits up in her archery attire, she is going over her expectations for the day, mentally preparing for a session of sharp shooting.

Fragua reaches for her bow quiver, spinning each arrow before nocking it in place. Once her arrow has been properly placed in her bow and locked in, she takes a step forward, placing her feet horizontal to the target. She draws her bowstring back with strength, precision and confidence before slightly lifting her custom bow. A slight breath, a twitch of the brow — and she lets her arrow fly.

'Why don't you try archery?'

Fragua's archery story springs from a common start-of-the-year tradition.

"I always set a New Year's resolution for myself. I go back and forth between community focused resolutions and making personal goals for myself," she said. "I've never won anything before. I'm really good at getting second place. So in 2019, my New Year's resolution was to win something."

It became a running joke at her office, with coworkers giving her silly trophies like "Best Birthday Girl" to help her "win" something. But Fragua wanted to truly succeed and was trying to decide how exactly she should go about it.

As Fragua contemplated in January what exactly she would win, her son and husband offered an answer.

"My son was the one to suggest archery. He and my husband like to do it a lot. He said, 'Why don't you try archery? When you go along with us, all you do is eat our snacks,'" Fragua said.

Originally, Fragua's family wanted her to try shooting a compound bow, which uses cables and pulleys to bend its limbs . It is more rigid, more precise, but it requires less technique than a traditional bow.

However, "I remember the traditional bow caught my eye and I decided I wanted to try that," Fragua said. "I brought it home and couldn't hit anything. During that time, I also found out I needed to shoot left-handed, even though I'm right-handed."

Since then, Fragua has been shooting with a traditional recurve bow.

That same year, Fragua had managed to win her first belt buckle in an archery tournament, and that momentum fueled her continued archery journey.

Since then, Fragua has gathered a collection of impressive medals and buckles. Some of her archery accolades include: Third place at the 54th USA Archery Indoor Nationals last year and fourth place at the Women's Traditional earlier this year. She currently holds the New Mexico State Archery Association State Outdoor Record (set in 2022) for Traditional Recurve 40. In 2023, Fragua won the NM State Outdoor Championship, and in 2024 she earned a silver medal at the New Mexico Games .

"This competitive nature of mine needed to be fed, and that kept me going," she said. "This was a way I could harness that competitive nature and put it to good use."

Fragua still wonders if she is a true winner, however. "Sometimes I would think, am I good enough to win? It's that constant reassurance of thinking 'Am I going to be able to show up?' Because there are some tournaments where I haven't."

She also notes that archery is a sport that is all about mental toughness. "It's such a combination of strength and focus and just being able to be mentally prepared," she said.

Fragua said she has been able to push through some of her harder mental days through the support of her peers and loved ones. "When I would ask if I am good enough, people would reassure me and tell me I am. I get a lot of advice, and I know everyone is coming to me with good intentions."

She said the archery community has been a huge support for her, offering reassurance and advice to help her achieve her goals. She says before she found her place, she was just shooting her bow in her backyard.

"The archery community is really cool. One of my first competitions, I was worried I didn't have any of the right gear. A woman came up to me and said 'Why don't you borrow some arrows. Do you need a hip quiver? Why don't you borrow mine?' I'll always be grateful for people like that who take you under their wing and just want you to be successful."

'You have to be calm and focused'

Doug Crespin, a member of the archery community, said Fragua has been a great addition to its ranks. The two are members of the Sandia Crest Bowhunters Association, a group of archers who go up into the mountains to let arrows fly.

"Monique is a joy to be around," Crespin said. "She could be a stand-up comedian if she wasn't doing what she was doing now. She's really witty and pleasant to be around."

Crespin and Fragua practice together, support each other in competitions, and give each other compliments and critiques to help their skills improve.

"Monique has a passion for it. She has the intelligence and learns more and gets better every time she comes in. She strives to learn," Crespin said. "She's good at taking critiques and asking questions."

Crespin believes Fragua's success in the sport lies in her mentality and drive to get better every day, especially in a sport that requires such discipline.

"It takes a lot of concentration to do archery well. You have to be calm and focused, and she does both well. She understands what it takes both mentally and physically," Crespin said.

As a competitor, Fragua manages to keep the same positive attitude she has at practice and in her day-to-day.

"She is a very formidable competitor. Monique really loves the competition and you can tell. She is quiet and focused during competitions, but she still is always open to helping people, and an excellent sport," Crespin said. "She is a real good role model for other women in archery."

Another archery friend, Archie Dixon, met Fragua in 3D archery, in which archers are put into groups and go on a hike along a trail. On the trail, there are faux animals placed along the path with rings that designate where to shoot and how much each arrow is worth. Every person in the group shoots, then they tally the points before continuing on their hike.

"We usually shoot together if we see each other at competitions," Dixon said. "We've known each other for about five years now, and she has always been really pleasant to be around."

Fragua says that while she has love for all styles of archery, she particularly loves 3D archery the most: "It's got to be my favorite because you get to spend the day in nature."

Dixon said Fragua is not only a great friend but a powerful competitor.

" She works hard at shooting and improving, and she likes to win but when she doesn't, it's not the end of the world," Dixon said. "Shooting is just one aspect in the archery world."

Hoping more women get into the sport

Fragua said archery has helped her mental clarity, providing her peace of mind and a great way to unwind from all the stresses of life.

"There is always so much on everyone's mind on a day-to-day. Did I give the dogs enough water, what am I eating for dinner, what am I doing today? When I'm with my bow and we're centered, that's all that matters," Fragua said. "I think it's important to have an escape. Anytime I pick up my bow, I feel better."

It's easier for Fragua to escape into archery when she shoots in so many varieties. She competes in field archery, in which archers shoot at targets outdoors. She also competes in indoor archery, which has a small paper target in an indoor setting.

Fragua's belt buckle collection comes from various 3D shooting competitions, and her goal for this year has been to add two more belt buckles to her collection. She's aiming to get one in April at the LFAA 3-D shooting competition held in Red River.

Fragua hopes her story inspires more people, especially women, to try archery.

"I feel like more women should do it. We need an escape and a chance to be badass, and archery let's us do both. There have been times where I go to a tournament and I am the only women there, so I end up shooting in the men's category instead. I'm really hoping to foster and see additional women get into archery," Fragua said.