Toomas had very strong connections with archery for over 40 years. He was an archer, judge, supporter, official, head of a club and high level coach. There are hundreds and hundreds of archers, who have got their first lessons in archery with Toomas.

After graduating school, Toomas moved to live in Tartu. That's where archery was introduced to Toomas for the first time by Taido Meumers. Meumers was the first man in Estonia, who got to top level of Soviet Union.

When Toomas moved to Järvakandi he taught archery to his co-workers. Together, they created an archery section in Järvakandi in 1968 and Toomas started working as a coach besides his full-time work in the glass factory.

In 1974 he filled in the normative to gain the title of "meistersportlane"* and he continued to be a considerable archer during the next 2 decades. The whole family shared his love for archery and also his wife, son and daughter earned the title "meistersportlane". Besides being an athlete and a coach, Toomas was a National Level Judge.

Coaching was in Toomas's heart. It was his passion. Especially work with children and young people. He was a role model to all his students with caring behaviour and optimistic attitude. It was mandatory for all of his students to keep the grades in school at good level and the behaviour pursuant to priciples of fair play. Through years many archers from different clubs turned to him to ask for help and advice.

At the same time working in glass factory he managed to be a successful coach. Toomas's students have won medals and titles from national and international competitions, they are holding most of Estonian National Records. His son and best student Raul Kivilo reached Olympic Games twice - Barcelona and Atlanta.

Toomas has worked with many organisations - Estonian Sports Union "Kalev", Estonian Olympic Committee, Estonian Archery Federation. He was the founder and the spirit of Järvakandi Archery Club "Ilves".

After a serious heart operation in 2004, his wish was to proceed back to the archery field, to continue the work with the training group. His inner force was so big that it seemed unthinkable for him to retire. He had so much more to give, so much more to teach. Success of his students delighted everybody. In 2005 Rapla county gave him an award for his lifework.

Toomas's moto was: only if you do something, then you achieve something. On 24th of May 2008 he was on Järvakandi's archery field. There was a competition and he was behind the shooting line as a coach. But in the evening his heart could not continue any more.

Toomas - you will always be in our memories!

Click here to see a photo galley of Toomas Kivilo

*Meistersportlane - there was a system in Soviet Union, which set normatives to gain the title in every sport (not only archery). In todays sense the normative would probably be about 1300 points for recurve. In translation this title means something similar to champion in sports.