Rewards of Archery???

Eire sun

Hi all, i'm new to the archery forum so i thought that i would see whats going on in Archery world these days. My question for you all is exactly as the heading states. What ultimately are the rewards of a sport like archery. I understand the element of personal challenge/achievement, the meeting of like minded people to share war stories of arrows that flew straight, and those that didn't, and the opportunity to travel etc. But if your target is to reach the top of the tree, then is there the support in place to help you achieve those goals, or should you have to settle for being the best in our fair land? :eek:
On the flip side of that, if it is not your intention to reach your maximum potential in the sport, why do it? I'll pre-empt the obvious answer with its a very enjoyable sport/hobby/pastime but for those with a competitive nature, like me, is there an ultimate target (forgive the pun) that you can strive for? Realistic i mean
I should explain :P i am an ex archer and although i really enjoyed the sport, i truly felt that the sacrifices that have to be made in order to reach a good level were just too high a price to pay for yet another meaningless medal. I have often asked myself if i would go back some day and these are the questions that i am unable to answer myself. I miss the sundays in the sun/rain/wind where you battle yourself and the elements, but without having a realistic obtainable objective, i just find enough reason to go back. Sorry for being a depressing git :D