While Hardy was in the service, he was part of the gifted athletes training program at Ft. Myers which gave athletes the opportunity to train and compete at National and International events in their field.
Boy’s Life, Sports Illustrated, Archery World, etc., all published articles about him in the '70s bringing national attention to Mt. Pleasant. He was highly regarded and respected by many in the archery community.
He was a former two-time US National Archery Champion and a former World Archery Champion. Archery remained his passion throughout his life. He was inducted into the Crossbow Hall of Fame for his innovation to the crossbow stock. He came up with the Ward crossbow stock which was a trackless crossbow. Most of the current trackless crossbow designs are based on his Ward stock.
Friend Skip Trafford best described Hardy in a recent article where he said, "Hardy Ward was without a doubt America’s most talented all round archer. His experience touched on every point of the archery compass. He was my dear friend of almost 50 years. He was not only my Best Man but my son’s namesake. He was an Eagle Scout, a veteran and a devout patriot. I was in touch with Hardy right up to the final hours of his passing. My family and I loved him like the brother and godfather he was to my wife and I and our four kids. The global archery community lost a huge pioneer with his passing.”
Funds are being raised to help pay for medical expenses, transportation back to the US, and funeral home expenses. Hardy's brother, Butch, and sister, Sonya, are in charge of final expenses. They thank you sincerely for helping them to achieve this goal.
https://www.gofundme.com/bring-hardy-home
No comments:
Post a Comment