GB archer from Louth seeks sponsorship while aiming high after winning gold
An archer from Louth is seeking sponsorship after winning gold for Great Britian in her first international tournament – three years after taking up archery at a competitive level.
Natalie Stones, 27, won the Mixed Traditional Team category at the European Championships in Serbia, shooting in the sport’s 3D discipline, alongside her teammate, Jed Cullen.
The week of competition took place in an alpine forest setting, with life-size animal model targets. Distances, conditions and terrain levels vary and need to be assessed for every arrow fired. Conditions for this year’s competition were particularly challenging with an unseasonal and unexpected substantial snowfall to contend with.
Natalie was first introduced to the sport on the playing fields at Saltfleetby but took some time out from pursuing her sporting ambitions to focus on A-levels, university and kickstarting a career maximising her chemistry degree with advanced polymer producer Luxus.
As Laboratory and Technical Manager at the Louth-headquartered business, which celebrated 60 years of operations in 2025, Natalie’s professional career has grown from strength to strength, alongside her sporting achievements.
Luxus backed Natalie’s journey to the finals at every step, providing support with travel and flexibility to allow her to compete at such a level. The business is also sponsoring her PhD at the University of Lincoln.
Peter Atterby, Luxus managing director, was one of 130 patiently waiting to congratulate her on her return to Fairfield Industrial Estate. He said: “We’re absolutely delighted Natalie has excelled on the European stage in her first competition at this level. It really is an incredible achievement and we’re so proud of her.
“Natalie joined Team Luxus as part of our graduate scheme six years ago, and her growth has been great to see. We can’t wait to support Natalie in her next challenge, which we’re sure will be just around the corner.”
The victory ensured a fifth-place finish for Great Britain in the final medal standings, behind Italy, Spain, Austria and Slovenia. Jed also took silver in his individual category, with Natalie finishing eighth after a very close quarter-finals match. The men’s team also took home the bronze.
Attention now turns to the World Championships in the USA next year. Natalie is part of the Archery GB 3D Squad who are working towards sending a larger team across the Atlantic.
“I am proud of what I achieved at the European Championships. I have worked very hard over the last couple of months to be as competitive as I can at this level so it’s really rewarding to have come home with a gold medal. It was an experience I’ll never forget! Huge thank you to the AGB 3D squad for helping me on this journey, and to Luxus for their support, Natalie said.
The squad is looking for sponsorship opportunities to help fund athletes to compete at the World Championships, with training sessions and seminars for preparation taking place I the build-up. Businesses who may be able to support the squad can email [email protected].