Representing the Mighty Marathas in the league's second season, Schloesser was back on the shooting line. Away from the range, however, life has taken on a different rhythm since the arrival of his daughter, Luna.
His wife, Gaby Schloesser, is an elite recurve archer who won silver in the mixed team event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Mike competes in compound archery, and both have spent years pursuing success in their respective disciplines.
In an exclusive interview, they spoke about the compromises involved in raising a young child while competing internationally, and how parenthood has changed their relationship with the sport.
Mike earned the nickname Mr Perfect in 2015, when he became the first archer in history to score 600 out of 600 in the indoor 18-metre qualifying round, hitting the maximum possible score with all 60 arrows.
After more than two decades, he is still chasing big wins. But a poor day on the range no longer follows him home in quite the same way.
Mike is paraphrased as saying archery is no longer the top priority, Luna's well-being comes first, and that has been a really nice change.
## When priorities shift
Before Luna arrived, archery occupied much of the Schloessers' lives. A disappointing performance could affect their mood long after a competition had ended.
Mike is paraphrased as saying before they became parents, archery was pretty much the only priority, and if things did not go well in their careers, they would often bring that frustration into their relationships and household. You can have a bad day at the range or a poor practice session, but when you come home, the most important thing is that you are a happy family, which puts things into perspective.
Gaby's adjustment has been different. After more than two decades in archery, she expected to remain just as consumed by training as she had always been. She was surprised by how readily that changed.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying what surprised her most was how comfortable she became with not training. She has been doing archery for 21 years, and before having Luna, she thought she would always be obsessed with training. She assumed she would constantly feel she needed to practise, but now, if she does not have time to train on a particular day, she is fine with that.
The change became clearer when Gaby started turning down competitions. The couple initially planned to travel everywhere with Luna and managed that for about a year. But international sport comes with fixed commitments, from training camps to qualification events.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying she wanted to be with her, and saying no to competitions was also a way of accepting that her life had changed, and it was okay to stay home.
She still wants to compete, but no longer measures every day by how much training she has completed. Her definition of success has changed, too.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying when Luna reaches a new milestone, whether she starts walking, talking or saying a new word, that feels like a victory. Winning medals and competing at the highest level are incredible experiences that only a few people get to have, especially winning an Olympic medal, but having a child changes your life in a completely different way. Luna has become her project now, and seeing her grow is a different kind of success.
## The art of juggling
Travelling for international competitions demands careful planning. With a toddler, the itinerary has to accommodate considerably more than flights, practice sessions and match schedules.
During the Archery Premier League season, the Schloessers often practised together as a family. Mike would shoot in the morning, with Gaby and Luna joining him before they returned to the venue for the finals.
Mike is paraphrased as saying in the morning, they would shoot for around 30 to 45 minutes, and then he would shoot for another hour. After that, they would have lunch and usually return to the venue for the finals, with Gaby coming along with Luna to support them, and it was really nice to share that experience as a family.
Mike is paraphrased as saying as Luna gets older, starts walking and understands more of what is happening around her, travelling becomes more challenging.
One trip to Las Vegas illustrated the difference between the two sides of their lives. Mike was competing in a final, while Gaby was trying to keep Luna quiet and comfortable.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying she thinks she changed her diaper three times during the final and fed her twice as well.
The victory made all the effort worthwhile. Gaby is paraphrased as saying when Mike finally won, she felt that all the effort she had put into keeping Luna quiet had been worth it.
Mike was delighted to have his wife and daughter there for the win. But travelling together does not always make sense, and the couple have to weigh the demands of each trip against their commitments at home.
Mike is paraphrased as saying sometimes, they have to decide whether an event is worth all the effort involved in flying around the world. For now, travelling together is still worth it, even if it can be difficult at times.
## Beyond the bullseye
Mike has had to adjust his preparation since becoming a father. He cannot devote every available hour to archery, and family commitments sometimes take precedence over training.
Mike is paraphrased as saying of course, being a dad has changed how he approaches his career. He does not have the time to put absolutely everything into archery because his family has to come first as well. Sometimes, it is difficult not to be at the same level he was before or not to have the same amount of preparation time.
Mike believes experience can compensate for preparation that is not always ideal. Mike is paraphrased as saying even if his preparation is not always optimal, he can draw on that experience to perform at the level he did before Luna came along.
His victory in Las Vegas was an important test of that belief. Mike had not trained as much as he wanted, but he still won a major competition.
Mike is paraphrased as saying winning in Vegas proved to him that he could still compete at the highest level, take on the biggest competitions and win.
Gaby knows the work behind such a result, but she also understands when Mike needs space after a loss. The immediate aftermath of a defeat is not always the right moment for reassurance.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying she has learned over the years that the moment immediately after a competition is not always the best time to talk to him, whether he wins or loses. She gives him 15 or 20 minutes to be upset, process what happened and have a moment to himself. After that, she can talk to him and tell him she is proud of him.
At the World Cup Final this year, Mike was upset after losing his first match. Gaby considered what she would want her coach to do in the same situation and decided to leave him alone. They did not discuss the defeat afterwards.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying understanding what an athlete needs in those moments comes from having experienced those emotions yourself.
Gaby's own career remains important to her. Supporting Mike does not mean giving up her ambitions, even when family responsibilities force her to reconsider which competitions she can attend.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying she does not want to say her own career does not matter anymore, because that is not true. But sometimes, when she does not perform as well as she would like at a competition, she can still think about how she helped him prepare and how she contributed to his journey, and that is also a form of success for her.
For Mike, their relationship has never depended on their results. Mike is paraphrased as saying their performances have never really defined their relationship. They know each other as people, as partners and, now, as parents, and that matters much more to them than the achievements they make in archery.
## A new Olympic target
The next major goal is Los Angeles 2028, where compound archery will make its Olympic debut. Mike has come close to qualifying for two previous editions, and the chance to compete at the Games remains a significant ambition.
Yet he is just as interested in what Olympic inclusion could mean for the sport. Mike is paraphrased as saying personally, of course, he is excited about the Olympic opportunity, but the most exciting part for him is the exposure that comes with having compound archery added to the Olympics. With that exposure, they get the opportunity to show their sport to the rest of the world. He loves archery and the archery community, loves competing in this sport, but it is nice to be able to share that with a much wider audience. He feels the Olympics bring a different level of recognition, and seeing a beautiful sport like archery receive that recognition is amazing.
For Gaby, who won silver in the recurve mixed team event at Tokyo 2020, the possibility of Mike reaching his first Olympics carries personal significance.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying obviously, competing at the Olympics is something very special. She feels like Mike has lived a little of that dream through her as well. She knows he has the strength and the knowledge to go there and perform, so she thinks he is going to do great at his first Olympics.
The two could potentially compete at the same Games, although qualification remains ahead. Mike could also take part in the compound mixed team event, where his partnership with a teammate will matter.
Gaby has competed in the individual, team and mixed team events in recurve archery. She knows how much trust matters when two athletes share the pressure of an Olympic contest.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying she sees him as a great example for whoever gets to shoot beside him at the Olympics. He has the experience and the ability to help make that partnership work.
Neither is treating Los Angeles as a certainty. For now, they are taking one tournament at a time while working out how their sporting commitments can fit around family life.
## Luna's world tour
Gaby has started collecting photographs of Luna in the places their sporting careers take them. India, China and Mexico are among the countries in the family's growing travel album.
Each picture captures a place Luna may not remember when she is older. Gaby hopes the photographs will help her understand the life her parents shared with her from the beginning.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying every time she takes a picture of Luna in India, China or Mexico, she thinks about how she wants her to look back at those photographs when she is older and say, in substance, wow, I was there when I was little, my parents took me with them, my dad was shooting there, and my mum was shooting there.
The photographs will show the places where Mike competed and Gaby continued her own career as a recurve archer. They will also capture the years when the couple were learning to fit training, competitions and parenting into the same journey.
Gaby is paraphrased as saying she thinks those memories will mean a lot to her when she grows up. She wants her to see that she was part of their journey and that they made an effort to experience these things together as a family.
When Luna is old enough to look through the album, she may not remember the airports or the competitions. She will, however, have the pictures Gaby took along the way, each one preserving a place she visited with her parents.
