Dumb Accomplishments, Scowling Birthdays, and More with Manisha Solomon

Manisha Solomon: 00:00:00

If it were to happen nowadays, the scathing look of death that would be sent towards the person that thought it was a good idea. Everybody would know.

Danny Brown: 00:00:14

Hi, and welcome to 5 Random Questions, the show where every question is an adventure. I'm your host, Danny Brown, and each week I'll be asking my guests five questions created by a random question generator.

The guest has no idea what the questions are and neither do I, which means this could go either way. So sit back, relax, and let's dive into this week's episode. Today's guest is Manisha Solomon.

Manisha is an archery mom, cyclist (gravel in particular), and the host and producer of the Archery Parent Podcast.

She has one dog named Milo, a border collie stroke Australian shepherd mix, who, according to Manisha, is the least herding, herding dog you will ever meet. So, Manisha, welcome to 5 Random Questions.

Manisha Solomon: 00:00:57

Thank you, Danny. I'm happy to be here.

Danny Brown: 00:00:59

You're very welcome. And I have to say, this is the first time, like my. We've got two kids, two teens, and they're very into competitive sports.

My son's into soccer, my daughter's into competitive cheer.

So my wife is always known as the soccer mom or the cheer mom, but I've never come across an archer mom, which is very cool when I saw that come through. And obviously you get a podcast. So how did that come about?

Manisha Solomon: 00:01:20

Thank you. Yes, we archery moms are far and few between because archery is fairly limited. The accessibility is limited.

nt. My son started archery in: 2014

n Am Games came to Toronto in: 2020

in international events. For: 2024

Danny Brown: 00:02:24

That is very cool. I've ever known one other archer like a proper archer, not watching TV or movies or anything in my life.

And that's going back to when I was in Scotland as probably a mid 20 year old. And my friend who worked at the local record store, he was heavily into archer.

A little bit older though, so it's cool to see your son get into an early age and Was it just an interest that he saw on TV or at an event or when he was. That got him into it?

Manisha Solomon: 00:02:51

He has always been a dirt, mud, sticks kind of kid. And so he used to make his own sort of bow and arrows out of sticks.

And eventually he went into primitive skills and was a sort of survival, survival wilderness instructor. And archery just came into that and has gripped him. And it is a passion and an.

Danny Brown: 00:03:17

Obsession for him that is very cool.

And I do have to ask, before we get into your random questions, which I'm looking forward to, I do have to ask, Gam, have you seen the Hunger Games movies with Jennifer Lawrence?

Manisha Solomon: 00:03:29

I have seen not all of them, honest.

Danny Brown: 00:03:33

Have you seen her use her bow and arrow?

Manisha Solomon: 00:03:36

Yes.

Danny Brown: 00:03:37

Her archery. What's her form like? How do you feel? Her form is as Katniss.

Manisha Solomon: 00:03:41

So what is interesting with Katniss, with the training that went into the Hunger Games, especially the first one, an American archer who at the time was part of the US Olympic team. Her name is Katuna Lorig. Her. She was actually hired or contracted to be the assistant to teach Jennifer Lawrence how to shoot.

So from what I hear her, her form and her skill is the most accurate. However, you know, her, her it is still for a movie, right? So they have a little bit of drama.

They have a few different ways to make it more exciting. But, yeah, it's not bad. I'll say.

Danny Brown: 00:04:28

Okay. So definitely it's more than a possible attempt. It's a good representation, hopefully, of proper archery.

Manisha Solomon: 00:04:36

Yeah, it's not bad. Yeah.

Danny Brown: 00:04:37

All right. Well, speaking of not bad, ideally, and hopefully we don't have any bad questions for you today.

And so far, nobody's come up with bad questions in all previous episodes. So keeping this flow going. So, Manisha, are you ready for this episode's five random questions?

Manisha Solomon: 00:04:54

I am.

Danny Brown: 00:04:55

Perfect. Let me just bring up the random question generator and we'll see what pops up. Okay. I feel. Well, it's not a bad one to start it off.

So, Manisha, question number one. What is one of the great values that guides your life?

Manisha Solomon: 00:05:12

I have a few, but one is everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn. That. That's a pretty major one for me. I go into life thinking that I don't know everything.

en in the archery world since: 2014

So just over 11 years. But there is still so much that I have to learn.

Danny Brown: 00:05:51

And I can imagine, because obviously you've got your podcast that it's about, you know, the archery world, and it's not really about what's kind of cool. It's not about archery per se. It's about all the stuff around the archery world that you showed about.

And I'm guessing each guest that comes on that you mentioned, you know, we don't know everything, have brought something that maybe you've learned as a complete out of the weird ballpark that you never knew beforehand until that particular guest appeared.

Manisha Solomon: 00:06:19

Yes, and that's why I have them on, especially when it comes to technical aspects or equipment. That's not my thing. My thing is the support of my archer and the community. So having other people on just makes the. Makes the circle full. Right.

Danny Brown: 00:06:37

And is there anything that your son, either when he was first learning and really getting into archery, or since obviously he started to, you know, do it more professionally, if you like, into what he's doing now in the Canadian scene that surprised, maybe surprised you, because you wouldn't have expected that coming from your son, knowing him like you do as his mum.

Manisha Solomon: 00:06:59

Well, my son has an incredible ability to absorb information and organize it and present it in such a way that that is really proves what an amazing teacher, instructor, provider of information. And I'm not really surprised about that. But what surprises me is the amount of information that he just has in his brain.

He can answer questions that are just shocking. And the detail and the love that he relays with this information astounds me every single time.

Danny Brown: 00:07:43

It's. I feel that must be. How old is your son, if you don't mind me asking?

Manisha Solomon: 00:07:46

He's 25, actually.

Danny Brown: 00:07:47

25. So I feel that must be.

I mean, as I mentioned, we've got two teen kids, so a little bit younger, but I do feel that must be, like, a skill that kids have to just surprise us. Our son, he loves soccer. It's why he's got a competitive player.

And he's grown up much like your son in the last 10 years, just ensconced in soccer, much like your son is with archery.

And the knowledge that he just pumps out, he'll forget to brush his teeth, he'll forget to, you know, do the chores that he knows he should be doing each day.

But if you ask him some random fact that he has no right in knowing because of his age and because it was done years before he was born, he will pull out. And it just. It blows my mind where that comes from 100%.

Manisha Solomon: 00:08:30

I totally understand, I can relate to. I understand that bafflement that you experience as well.

Danny Brown: 00:08:40

Well, it's like you say, we're always here to learn.

And I feel kids because, well, certainly still they get to a certain age, maybe they'll lose a little bit of not naivety, but a little bit of innocence about the world after a certain age. I'm not sure. I guess it depends obviously on, you know, the person.

But I do feel that while they've got that really wide open sponge like, you know, skill to take so much information and we should really encourage that to come out with them.

Manisha Solomon: 00:09:07

Definitely.

Danny Brown: 00:09:08

So I feel that was a nice one to, to get in there. And as you say, I completely, 100% agree. We all need to be good listeners and teachers as much as, you know, educators.

So let's have a look and see what question number two brings up. I like this one. This is, this is going to tell me a little bit more about you, Manisha. So question number two. What was your best birthday?

Manisha Solomon: 00:09:32

I, in: 2024

I am someone who does enjoy birthdays. I'm not afraid to tell people my age. I'm not afraid to tell people when my birthday is it.

You know what, I'm actually going to say that any birthday is a good birthday. And it's just what I learn from the previous decade. Going into the next decade.

I think the 40s were amazing and going into the 50s, I'm so looking forward to it. So maybe when I turned 50 last year, that was the best one because it just brings forward newness and a confidence that just comes with age and life.

And that is what excites me about, about birthdays. So I don't have one in particular, but just the fact of a birthday is a good one.

Danny Brown: 00:10:47

Do you think it's because I know getting older myself, obviously your mindset changes and how you view maybe parts of life or parts of the world or the world around you, as opposed to how you did 10 years ago, 20 years ago, etc.

Do you think there's maybe like a tipping point of an age in general where not like the light switch gets flicked on or flicked off or whatever, but you tend to just make that realization that, oh, I'm actually looking at things very differently now.

Manisha Solomon: 00:11:16

I, I don't think so, not for myself, for other people. I mean I know somebody who I think she turned 28 four times. She was turning 30, but she didn't want to admit that.

Whether she has changed her perspective on that now, I'm not really sure.

But I have always been someone who people may be underestimated because I do tend to not and this is going to sound weird, but I tend to not look my age. So I always would tell people that I'm a year older in the sense of so I'm 50.

But I'm going to be telling people this year that I'm going to be turning 51. It's just something that I've always done. So I've always looked forward to turning whatever age and being older.

I there was never a moment of a trigger of changing a life perspective or paradigm for me.

Danny Brown: 00:12:12

And you, I mean you mentioned that you enjoy birthdays and you don't mind people knowing when it's your birthday, etc. Have you had surprise birthdays for other monumental occasions like maybe your 40th or 30th?

Or is that something that people don't do because it's not you already celebrating? You're very open about celebrating.

Manisha Solomon: 00:12:31

I despise birthday surprises. I despise surprises of any sort. And I, I believe it was when I turned 16, I think my mother had a birthday party for me unexpectedly with my friends.

Everybody held it as a secret. It infuriated me and I, I absolutely hate surprise birthdays.

Danny Brown: 00:13:01

Would you walk out at all? Would you still stay and just unhappily go ahead with it?

Manisha Solomon: 00:13:06

If it were to happen nowadays, the scathing look of death that would be sent towards the person that thought it was a good idea, everybody would know that it was not. So I would probably placate the situation, but there would probably be words later, definitely be consequences.

Danny Brown: 00:13:30

And I guess I mean normally because normally like surprise parties are as you mentioned for milestone one. So 16, 18, 21, I guess 30, 40, 50, maybe 60, 65, I'm not sure.

So I guess like you say, if people know, even if they didn't know you as a teen when you turn 16, if they tried say only 30 or 40 and they knew then and it's going to be, I'd imagine roughly the same crowd, the same community, the same circle of friends, family, etc that see other birthdays like you say, they'd know, you know what, we better not do that because someone is going to be hurt.

Manisha Solomon: 00:14:02

Well, and that to me baffles me is if you don't know that somebody you care about really does not like birthday surprises. Or if you know that and you still do it, that is a huge breakdown in communication and trust that I am not cool with.

Danny Brown: 00:14:22

No, I hear you. I am. I think I've only had one surprise party. My wife organized that for me for my 40th, and that was cool. I didn't mind it at all.

I'd only been in Canada. I'm gonna say three, four years maybe.

@ that time we'd gone to Niagara Falls and then she'd behind the scenes organized something for her mom and friends, et cetera. So that was a nice surprise.

But I feel, especially as you get older, just the fright of it might just sort of do something that I don't want to happen at that time.

Manisha Solomon: 00:14:51

Yes, there's that too.

Danny Brown: 00:14:53

Well, we will certainly try and keep the surprises to a minimum here, but. Okay, so there you go. If you're trying to organize something as a surprise for Manisha, top tip, don't. Just don't. Don't do it.

Let's have a look then at question number three. Oh, I like this one because it kind of flips the script a little bit on accomplishments. So, Manisha, question number three.

What dumb accomplishment are you most proud of?

Manisha Solomon: 00:15:22

That's an interesting one. What dumb accomplishment? I don't know if I have a dumb accomplishment.

I guess there are accomplishments that I feel very proud of that other people think that are dumb. So, for example, as a cyclist, it's very common for me to just go out on my bike and cycle 150 or 160km in one go.

A lot of people think that's just appalling or crazy or dumb, I guess. But for me, I don't know. I don't know. That's a good question.

Danny Brown: 00:16:06

It is. I do like it because as you say, it does kind of flip it a bit. Right.

Because normally we like to talk about our accomplishments and recognize that it's interesting. You mention about the cyclame, one of my previous guests, who I believe you know as well, actually Toronto, Mike. Mike's Boone.

He's obviously an avid cyclist.

He's always posting, you know, pictures on Instagram, et cetera, of the areas he's visiting in Toronto and he'll think nothing of jumping on his bike and, you know, as you mentioned, go 60, 100 kilometers and then, you know, that's his. That's normal. Whereas, you know, a non biking person. I'm going to say that because that's a polite way of saying extremely unfit person like me.

If I hear that distance, I'm thinking that would be a distance to drive as opposed to, you know, psycho. I just, yeah, I can't, I don't think it's dumb. I just can't wrap my head around that distance. On a bike.

Manisha Solomon: 00:16:59

Yeah. And even when I, I do.

So, for example, I live in Niagara and I rode my bike to the Burlington Pier, which, and back, which is when you're driving down the QEW over the skyway. It, it really does resonate how far that is, especially when you're going back in the same day.

So, yeah, it is even for me sometimes a little shocking that I, that my body can do these things.

Danny Brown: 00:17:27

And for the listeners that don't know that distance. I used to live in Burlington fun enough before we moved up to, to where we are now and we'd go to Niagara, man.

It's not, it's like maybe an hour, just under an hour in the car, but as you see on the bike, it's a, I could imagine a completely different ride. And the skyway that Manisha mentioned, there is a bridge that leads into. Yeah, it's into Hamilton from Burlington.

Hamilton's a city in southeastern Ontario, southeastern, southwest.

Manisha Solomon: 00:17:57

The, the skyway is on the west side of Lake Ontario that divides the lake itself from the port of Hamilton. So it goes over that and there is a lower bridge and that's where you would ride your bike. But from St.

Catharines to the Burlington Pier, which is downtown near Spencer Smith park, it is close to 70km. But because you're on the road, that's as the bird flies on the road.

You know, depending on your route, you could go up to about 70 or 80 kilometers one way. And then of course, some of us.

Danny Brown: 00:18:37

Choose to ride back in the same day.

And I know my friend over in Chicago, she's a very competitive cyclist and she swears by the cycling pants that she has that has extra padding for your, your bum area.

Manisha Solomon: 00:18:50

Oh, yes.

Danny Brown: 00:18:50

Because I feel like even just me biking down the street, I would feel sore, you know, after 10 minutes biking. But obviously you're wearing proper gear and proper pad and etc. So it's, it's not quite as uncomfortable.

It's obviously a lot of work, but at least the comfort factor is a bit better.

Manisha Solomon: 00:19:07

And you know, a lot of those of us who consider ourselves cyclists and a long distance cyclist, we are not necessarily people that have comfy seats. We have sort of aerodynamic or we have high performance seats. So they're not cushy in any way.

So you know, there is discomfort that happens on these long trips and yet we still choose to do it.

Danny Brown: 00:19:32

And you mentioned obviously when I was introducing you at the start of the episode there, you've mentioned that you're particularly a gravel cyclist. So what's the difference between say a gravel cyclist and someone that does like road cycling or road biking etc. And any other kind of cycle?

Manisha Solomon: 00:19:49

Yes. So it is actually a type of bike. So my evolution of cycling for many, many years I was a mountain biker. For many, many years I did triathlon.

For many years I did road cycling and now sort of graduated into gravel which a gravel bike looks closer to a road bike because it will have the, the rounded handlebars opposed to the straight of a mountain bike. But the structure of the bike is actually geared to. You could go on the same trails as mountain biking. It is a lighter bike.

Quite often they're swifter, if I'll use that terminology. And so gravel is more, you know, those railway, former railway trails that have been naturalized. Or you could use it on the road. You can use it.

It's a very multi disciplinary bike. It's much more versatile than say a mountain bike with thicker tires or a road bike with thinner tires.

So it is really something that you can sort of conquest all if you will.

Danny Brown: 00:20:59

You're right because I, I'm aware of like you say like the mountain bikes and you that they're such rough terrain, off road beasts at times I watch a lot of TikTok. I don't watch a lot of tiktoks. I watch it when I'm bored and I scroll and I've got nothing else to do and.

But often I see these, these GoPro first person viewpoints of people on dirt bikes or mountain bikes, sorry going down these really narrow, super fast, you know, through trees and everything. Do you do something similar to that at times with you off roading?

Manisha Solomon: 00:21:29

Not with ramps or like the cyclocross. I'm not into that.

I do enjoy not being injured my mountain bike days, you know, I was definitely no fear and would not really jump off things but I had no fear for the type of terrain. But now, you know, as you get older, you don't really want to get hurt because it takes a lot longer to heal from.

Danny Brown: 00:21:57

I hear you. I get hurt just wake up in the morning and get out of bed. So I hear you. Navish. I'm all for that. So there you go. Dumb accomplishment.

Not quite as dumb as, you know, dumb would suggest. But I do like that. And as I say, kudos to anybody that can go more than 10km on a bike and not be out of breath and tired.

So 100% kudos to you there, Manisha. So let's have a look then at question number four.

And this kind of ties back actually to the early question or the first question we had to open up the episode. So question number four, Manisha, when was the last time you changed your opinion about something major?

Manisha Solomon: 00:23:44

So with the upcoming Ontario election or federal election.

Actually I did ch I did change my mind on who I'm going to vote for because although I am have been for a very long time a supporter of a particular party, I decided to change who I'm going to vote for. Which is for me it matters a lot.

Voting is very important to me and changing my mind on who I am going to vote for after voting this way for a very long time. Yeah, is is different. I it, there's a little bit of emotion behind it, but I think that yeah, I'm doing it for the purposes that I feel necessary.

Danny Brown: 00:24:38

It's interesting. I mean it's an interesting time in Canada and the world I guess at the minute with everything that's going on.

But with our election coming up this year, we just had one as you mentioned in Ontario and now we've got the federal one coming too. Do you ever vote and you don't have to obviously I completely respect your privacy when it comes to who and why you vote, et cetera.

Do you ever vote strategically to keep another party out?

It might not be the vote you want to cast, but that person has the best chance to keep in the opposition that you really don't want to get any power out of there.

Manisha Solomon: 00:25:09

So I, I am voting strategically this year for this vote, this election and.

Danny Brown: 00:25:16

I'm wondering how much the and I don't want to get too political. This show is definitely not a political podcast and I rarely, you know, talk politics. It pops up now and again like it just has here.

And that's all good but I'm wondering if the the current situation with the U.S. administration, not the U.S. but the U.S.

administration, just to keep it crystal clear, has changed a lot of minds as well as to people that might have voted one way previously but now won't because they see one party as being maybe the best place to stand up more for Canadians interests. I'm not sure how you feel on that at all.

Manisha Solomon: 00:25:51

I believe that yes, that is happening. I am someone that travels into the US Quite A number of times per year. And I am hearing from people, and I do have a significant community.

It is an archery community that I travel for. It's very, very interesting to be part of that community of Americans who are choosing to voice their opinions to me about various things.

And, yes, it is affecting everybody across the board.

Danny Brown: 00:26:29

It will be interesting to see. And I feel we could probably put a pin in that one. I completely understand and fully support your.

You know, you're keeping that nice close to your chest, and I would probably do the same. So let's move on. We're doing well here. Let's move on to question number five. Okay, this cannot be the one that your podcast is about.

So, anyway, question number five. Manisha, what talent will you show off in a talent show?

Manisha Solomon: 00:26:58

I can whistle really accurately to songs. It's just something even as a young person or humming, like hum or whistle, that. That's a weird, strange talent.

I guess I used to be many, many years ago a singer, and I was part of a choir that actually traveled around parts of the world and music, although I cannot sing anymore. Whistling. Yeah, you can put on a song that I know, and I would actually be able to, like, hit the high notes. Whistling. It's weird.

Danny Brown: 00:27:40

And when you're whistling, because I know, like, some people have got very different ways to whistle. My wife, I've got. I'm a. I'm going to say a stereotypical Brit. If you think of British people, you think, okay, you've got bad food, bad teeth.

And I would say yes to both. So when I whistle, I can certainly whistle without doing the O shape.

I can just sort of, as I'm speaking now, my mouth was like this shape, like rectangular. I can just blow her through and make a whistle that way. Is that something when you're whistling, do you get the full on?

I'm going to get the big O coming here, the big. Oh, my mouth shape and get that notes out that way or.

Manisha Solomon: 00:28:15

Yeah, I guess so. I never really thought of it. What I cannot do. Although I do boast about my song whistling rather than lyrics singing.

I wish I could do you know when people, like, whistle to call out for somebody and it's really loud and it's vibrant, I cannot do that. So I can. I can whistle to a song, but not. Not anything like that. No. Yeah, I guess. Yeah. Because it's all in.

In the physiology of how you whistle to be able to hit the different notes. Right.

Danny Brown: 00:28:49

What's. It's funny. It's like I always think of The. The Whistle While youe Work. You know, song from the Snow White and Assume Dwarf movie.

That's the one that I. I immediately think of when you mention whistling. I thought, oh, whistle while you work, you know, so it's a.

You mentioned there that you can't do like the. The call in one. Is it like a different. Because it's not a tune or a song. Is it like a different mindset or approach then that?

Manisha Solomon: 00:29:12

No, I don't think I actually know the process. I don't know. But I think it's so cool when people can do that.

Not the fact that they're actually calling somebody, because that's always weird too, but the fact that they can do it and it's loud. I. I don't know. I think it's a skill.

Danny Brown: 00:29:28

I. I know someone where we live, actually, we're like surrounded. And you'd be similar to.

Imagine being in a Yagra, surrounded by, you know, water, nature, etc. And there's a neighbour. I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say neighbor. He's about 15, 20 minutes away because it's like a rural village we live in.

But he's classed as a neighbor. But he likes to converse with the birds. And he can also almost imitate to a T each bird song or each bird that appears.

So you spring coming, you know what to expect.

Spring disappears and like the hummingbirds are starting to go away and like other birds are coming in, so you'll start talking to them and it's cool to see, you know, I'm super jealous, like you mentioned earlier, you know. I don't know, is that something you'd want to do or are you more than happy with the whistling of the tunes that you have?

Manisha Solomon: 00:30:16

Yeah, it's just sort of my thing. I. I'm, you know. Yeah, it's just my thing. I'm not doing it for anyone or it's just me connecting to the music.

Danny Brown: 00:30:27

Well, if you're up for it, if you. Because I know we. We met in person last year actually, in Calgary at the POD Summit event. And if you're up for it, I mean, if we.

If you're going again this year or a future event that we're at at the same time. My party trick, not party trick as such, is playing any tune as long as you know it with a pencil against my teeth.

So I get the pencil and I play it with my fingers and play the tune with my fingers on this pencil. So if you want to do a duet, we can do that as A sort of icebreaker trick at our networking event or something.

Manisha Solomon: 00:30:57

Oh, that'd be funny. Okay, listeners, you hear it here first. Danny and I, we're going on the road. Our first gig will be at YYC Pod Summit or Pod Summit. YYC coming up in.

What is it, September?

Danny Brown: 00:31:11

I think it's September. Yeah, yeah. Third week September over in Calgary and Alberta, Canada.

Manisha Solomon: 00:31:17

Okay, so I'll do the marketing, you do the merch.

Danny Brown: 00:31:20

Yeah, sounds good. We'll get Tim. Tim, the founder. He can get on that as well. Get some like MIA in there.

Manisha Solomon: 00:31:25

Yes, that's funny.

Danny Brown: 00:31:26

Awesome. Well, Manisha, we have survived. We. You've done all the hard work. You've survived the five random questions. Hot seat.

As is only fair for every guest because I put you on a spot for the last 30, 35 minutes or so, it is now your turn to put me in a hot seat and throw your random question at me.

Manisha Solomon: 00:31:44

So, Dani, one of the questions that I often ask for as a resource for parents because my podcast is the archery Parent podcast.

One question that I ask many people, whether it be a coach, archers themselves, or archery parents, is if there is one thing that you could tell another parent. So I'm saying this because you've got two athletes in your home, so you've got a cheer athlete and you've got a soccer athlete.

If there was one thing that you could tell another parent whose child is interested in going into one of those sports, what would you tell that parent as a sort of a heads up?

Danny Brown: 00:32:26

Mm. I mean, the obvious one is say goodbye to family vacations because all your money will go into your child's sport.

That'd be the obvious one right off. I don't know what the Archer rewards like for competitions and travel and events etc, but yeah, I would say.

And my wife, she's the one that travels the most with her kids for their events, etc. So she knows exactly how much goes into paying for hotels, paying for equipment, paying for xyz.

So I would say that the obvious one would be the cost is something. But I guess because that's the obvious one, you want to sort of try offer a different one as well.

And I would say just get ready for them to be super, super independent. Obviously it depends what age your kids go into the sport and when they start it. And obviously your. Your. Your son was a teen when he started.

Our kids were a bit younger, my daughter less so. My son definitely younger when he started. But as far as competitive, they were both very close to being teens.

And we've seen the change in them over the last two, three years when they've really been at the competitive level, which is great, but it's also not so great because as a parent, you want to be that person they come to and they'll still come to you. But now it's generally for, hey dad, can I have 20 bucks?

Because I'm going to do this or, you know, I want to hang out with the pool or whatever with my friends, I need to get some drinks. So yeah, I would say one is the obvious, one is the cost, it's like crazy amount of money that you spend.

But the second, yeah, just get ready for not being as needed by your child as much. I don't know if that was the same for you with your son.

Manisha Solomon: 00:34:06

Same. So with archery we travel all over Canada, all over the US and now my son is traveling to Korea and Turkey and Colombia and Spain, so.

So yes, those expenses just get a wee bit higher. And archery has a significant amount of equipment.

And when you're a high performance athlete on the competitive stage internationally, you need to carry two to three of everything. That is a lot of money and you need to hope that all of your equipment gets to the venue.

Danny Brown: 00:34:44

I could imagine, and I would also imagine as well because of it being such a very specific skill set.

Does your son use arrows that are tailored to his preference as opposed to not just like arrows that you'd buy at Costco, but that's a ridiculous example.

But I would imagine he uses custom tailored arrows as well as his actual bow, which would be hard to replace and couldn't do easily if something happened to them mid transit.

Manisha Solomon: 00:35:08

What is amazing. So just to refer to the arrows, the arrows are Easton X10 performance arrows which cost approximately $120 each. And most arrow, most air.

Sorry, most archers will carry at least two dozen, sometimes three dozen with them. So that is a small fortune in itself.

But yes, one of the things when traveling, because international athletes do carry two of each to mitigate the potential for loss or well in quotation marks, a redirection of equipment, at times one archer will take one other archer's half of their equipment so that it is hopeful that it won't, you know, if you do lose some, some of it, or it's temporary, temporarily lost, at least you have a backup. So everyone usually carries a backup bow. But even that, it's just investment over investment.

And yes, for what you were saying about family vacations, yes, there are archery related family vacations. A lot of families because we're traveling around, we'll try to tack on a day or two and make it into a vacation where everybody shows up.

But four of those days are archery tournaments, which you know can be quite boring for some people. But yes, having a non archery related holiday is very rare for sure.

Danny Brown: 00:36:40

Yeah, well I hear you. I completely hear you on that and that was a cool question. I've definitely not been asked that before and I do appreciate the question.

And Manisha, so again, I really appreciated getting your answers to this episode's questions.

For anybody that wants to learn more about Manisha, your archery podcast, what goes into life behind the scenes and in and around the podcast and you know, seeing that obviously you and your sons involved in and your guests and your community, where's the best place that they can catch up with you online, listen to the podcast, et cetera.

Manisha Solomon: 00:37:11

Thank you. So the archery Parent podcast is what archery parents need to know to best support their archers.

Our episodes can be found at archeryparentpodcast, Ca or wherever you get your podcasts.

And we have a lot of great content in video version on Instagram, but but we are also on Blue sky threads and even TikTok which is really fascinating to be on. I've been uploading a lot of video there and this response has been great and for such a niche.

So not only is it an archery podcast, it's a podcast by an archery mom for other archery parents, which is pretty much the nichiest of niche that you can hit. And the response has just been fantastic. So I'm very, very pleased with the way it's been going.

And we just started uploading our episodes to YouTube as well. So we're just trying to get around to a little bit of everywhere.

Danny Brown: 00:38:14

And I will be sure to leave all these links in the show notes as usual.

So whatever podcast app you're listening on, be sure to check the show notes out and that will link straight through to Manisha and everywhere you can find her online. Maybe not everywhere, but all the important places for the archery podcast in Manisha's like podcast there.

So again, Rachel, thank you for appearing on today's five Random Questions.

Manisha Solomon: 00:38:35

Thank you so much for having me on, Danny.

Danny Brown: 00:38:38

Thanks for listening to five Random Questions. If you enjoyed this week's episode, I'd love for you to leave a review on the app you're currently listening on.

And if you know someone else that would enjoy the show too, be sure to send them this way. It's very much appreciated. Until the next time, keep asking those questions.