Olympic athlete. United States of America Olympic athlete. United States of America Olympic medalist.

Each has its own specific ring to it. For Casey Kaufhold, they're titles that all hold special meaning.

At 20 years of age, Kaufhold is, and always will be, all three. The 2022 graduate of Conestoga Valley High School is now more than a month removed from competing at her second Summer Olympic Games, and in many ways, the glow has yet to wane.

"I'm still riding the high because I worked so hard to get there," said Kaufhold, one of the finest female archers in the world. "I'm definitely still settling in from the experience. So few people get an opportunity to compete at the Olympics. So, to do it twice by the age of 20 and get a medal, I'm grateful and thankful."

"I think the best part of competing was having my family there," continued Kaufhold. "I also competed at Tokyo (in 2021), and I couldn't have my family there (because of the pandemic). To get a medal and have them there was really special."

On Aug. 2 in Paris, during competition in the 2024 Summer Olympics, Kaufhold and teammate Brady Ellison captured a bronze medal in the mixed team archery event with a 6-2 victory over India. The medal was the first ever for the United States in the mixed team archery event, and Kaufhold became the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in archery since 1988.

Earlier in the Games, Kaufhold had finished 17th in the women's individual archery event and was part of a USA squad that came in ninth in the women's team archery competition.

"The women's individual and team events were the first two events I competed in, and they didn't go the way I would've liked," said Kaufhold. "I struggled with nerves. When I went into the mixed team competition, I wanted to stick with my process. I didn't feel I shot as well as I could have, and I wanted to show what I could do. I wanted to shoot the way I was in practice. My goal was to come home with a medal. I didn't want to come home empty handed."

At the Summer Olympics in Tokyo - which had been postponed a year because of COVID-19 - the then-17-year-old Kaufhold finished 17th in the individual women's archery competition and was part of an American group that came in seventh in the women's team archery competition.

"Tokyo was totally a different experience," said Kaufhold. "It's hard to even compare. I was 17, and I felt like I was new to everything."

"For archers, the Olympics are our biggest event," Kaufhold added. "Because it's every four years, there's a lot of hype around it, and it's very prestigious. It's hard to get there, and you can feel the pressure when you're there."

Since taking up the sport at the age of 7, Kaufhold has combined dedication, talent and skill with family tradition to become one of the top female archers nationally and internationally. It's a foundation that has put her in position to compete at the next few Summer Olympic Games.

"I'd like to compete in Los Angeles in 2028, and in 2032, in Australia," said Kaufhold. "I'm pretty locked in as far as my career goes. I'm someone who likes having a plan and I like having things set up. The Olympics have been a goal of mine since I was 12. To get there twice, feels great. It's very fulfilling to have accomplished it by 20."