Audrey Berning-Matell and her late husband Matt shared a limitless enjoyment of the outdoors. They hiked, shot firearms at a local conservation club, went wilderness camping, and took on challenging backpacking adventures.

The couple also had this joint vision of one day opening an outdoors-based business where Audrey could utilize her extensive archery skills and instructional talents. When Matt passed away in 2013, the dream did not go with him. Instead, it came to life.

“I had volunteered at different archery clubs for many years, but Matt always told me we should make a business out of this,” Audrey said. “He always said to never give your skills and knowledge away for free, so I followed his advice.”

AJ Archery was opened early this year, on the second floor of the Secor Building, in what was previously a charter school gymnasium. Audrey’s middle name is Jeanne and Matt always called her AJ, so naming the business was the easy part.

Berning-Matell, a Toledo born 1974 St. Ursula graduate, is now spreading the gospel of archery, with its discipline, history and precision. Besides presenting individual archery lessons along with weekend and summer camps, she is swinging the doors to the 12-lane range on Jefferson Avenue open over the next three days for a free introduction to the sport.

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, AJ Archery is offering two-hour shooting sessions with free instruction and all loaner equipment supplied. Saturday’s session runs from 6-8 p.m., while Saturday’s take place from 1-3 p.m., 3-5 p.m., and 5-7 p.m. On Monday, the sessions are from 10 a.m. to noon, noon to 2 p.m., and 2-4 p.m. Call 419-474-1103 to reserve a time slots and equipment.

“I developed my passion for archery at a very young age,” said the 59-year-old Berning-Matell, who holds degrees from UT in art and design, and communications and public relations. She grew up in the Old West End, and recalled as a kid shooting a bow and arrows in the attic of the family home, with her brothers and sisters.

“We got in trouble, but we did it anyway,” she said. “There were a lot of windows, but we never broke any of them.”

Berning-Matell went from Girl Scouts to a variety of outdoors activities and eventually became an archery instructor, working with 4-H clubs, scout groups and various youth groups. She is an archery merit badge counselor and a member of the Erie Shores Council of the Boy Scouts of America shooting sports committee. She is also an NRA certified pistol and shotgun instructor, and the former president of the Mudjaw Bowmen archery club.

“I love to teach and I love to coach, and I thought what better way is there to do that, other than having your own range,” she said. “And I always wanted to have it downtown, centrally located.”

Berning-Matell first looked at some warehouses that were too expensive, but eventually found the ideal layout at the Secor Building, where she has a tournament-length range, plus office space and a workshop for equipment repairs. She hopes to upgrade the facility soon to include targets for crossbows and advanced compound bows used by hunters.

“I haven’t seen many hunters yet, but the response overall has been very good,” she said. “The business is still developing and expanding, and I hope to see a lot of new faces this weekend.”

Berning-Matell said she felt the best way to introduce new people to the sport of archery was to offer the free instruction and the use of equipment this weekend.

“My experience has been that when a lot of people try archery, they find out it is so much fun,” she said. “I believe in starting everyone out with the fundamentals, and then we progress from there. Archery is really something that just about everyone can enjoy.”

And at AJ Archery, each time a bow string is stretched taut, each time an arrow zips through the air, and each time a target absorbs another point, Matt Matell is part of the process. With his words as a motivation, his widow is bringing the sport to many.

“I think he would be very proud of this,” Audrey said. “He is there with me every day.”

MICHIGAN BEAR, ELK HUNTS: Hunters have only until Monday to apply for the 100 elk hunting licenses and the 6,951 bear hunting licenses available for the 2015 season. The elk licenses are available to Michigan residents only, while no more than two percent of the bear licenses will be issued to nonresidents. Hunters can apply at the mdnr-elicense.com website, at any authorized license agent or at a DNR service center.

Contact Blade outdoors editor Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6068.

First Published May 29, 2015, 4:23 a.m.