She’s done it again! Two more personal best scores for sixteen-year-old Olivia Hill at the British Open Airgun Championship.
The 2018 British Open Airgun Championship was held in April at the Lord Roberts Centre at Bisley National Shooting Centre. The Lord Roberts Centre, originally built to host the small-bore shooting events at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, is the NSRA headquarters, and home to the association’s 10m airgun and 50m rifle ranges.
This competition was one of the first to be subject to some changes that were made to the ISSF Official Statutes, Rules, and Regulations. One of these changes was the widely welcomed stipulation that there will be equal numbers of shots for women and men in all disciplines. Olivia, sponsored by Pellpax, scored third place in A-class aggregate, clocking up two PB scores along the way.
The following week, Olivia came second in the Junior category at the English Championships, also held at Bisley.
Olivia, who is studying A levels in drama, geography, and French, is also working for her grade eight exam in drama, with the London Academy for Music and Dramatic Arts. Alongside this busy academic schedule, Pellpax’s youngest partner manages to train twice a week at the Norwich City Target Club and North Walsham Rifle & Pistol Club, as well as fitting in daily dry-firing at home and regular training weekends with the Great Britain Rifle Talent Squad, and the England Rifle Academy at Aldersley.
… Oh yes – and she has a part-time job, working at Carberry’s bistro in Norwich.
Olivia is an amazing girl, who is fully aware that exceptional talent will never be enough, on its own, to carry her to stardom. Besides talent, Olivia has tremendous determination, commitment, and mental stamina. We, the Pellpax team, are confident that she will rise to the top of her sport.
Olivia says, “Pellpax has enabled me to do more training and competitions by supporting me. Thank you.”
Sixteen-year-old Olivia Hill, a sixth-form student at Paston College, North Walsham, is a champion in the making.
This talented young shooter, who took up the sport less than two years ago, has already reached a high competitive standard, and is training hard for her climb to the very pinnacle of success: the Olympic Games. Combined with unwavering support from her mum, Lisa, the financial assistance from Pellpax will provide Olivia with the means to train hard and to attend competitions.
Olivia – currently the only competing 10m Precision Air Rifle shooter in Norfolk – is a member of the Norfolk County team, the National Scout Rifle Squad, and the GB Rifle Talent Squad. In March this year, Olivia was accepted by the England Rifle Academy (an ESSU project), established for the enhanced coaching and training of talented individuals. Besides shooting practice at North Walsham Rifle and Pistol Club, and Norwich City Target Club, Olivia’s training schedule includes balancing exercises, dry firing, and a conditioning programme for stamina and strength.
Gaining Personal Bests
In February this year, Olivia took part in her first international competition, the 41st InterShoot event in The Hague, Holland. She performed well and was delighted to achieve a personal best score. In 2018, there will be many more opportunities for Olivia to build on her experience.
In April, Olivia will be competing in the British Open Airgun Championships at Bisley Shooting Ground, in Surrey. This year, the competition has been pushed back from its usual slot in February, so that competitors can enjoy the new rules that see women and juniors shooting a 60-shot match (as opposed to the former 40-shot), which brings ladies’ and juniors’ events in line with the men’s. Later in the year, Olivia will be taking part in the ESSU competition, also held at Bisley.
Over the coming months, Olivia will be doing some product testing for Pellpax. Keep an eye on the Pellpax blog page to find out how rifles from some of the top manufacturers fare in Olivia’s capable hands.
Based in Norfolk, Pellpax is a nationally recognised company, led by a strong ethos of giving something back to the community. Sponsorship of twenty-year-old Amy Brown, an exceptionally talented Olympic skeet shooter from Newcastle upon Tyne, is one way in which Pellpax helps to nurture the future of British shooting sports.
Darren Kirk, Pellpax Managing Director, explains: “Occasionally you stumble across someone with an exceptional talent or skill. Left un-nurtured, that talent may blossom, or it may not get the chance to grow to its full potential. Sometimes all it needs is some help – a little push, or encouragement. We feel that, in some small way, we can help those who have the potential to be the stars of the future.”
The first step on Amy’s shooting career ladder was success at the Target Tokyo trials, after being scouted by an APSI (Association of Professional Shooting Instructors) coach during the summer of 2015. Since then, she has competed in national competitions all over the UK, and in international events in Holland, Serbia, Málaga, the UK, and Malta. Amy’s performance at the 2017 International Malta Grand Prix was testament to her enormous capacity for focus and perseverance; knocked back by illness, she won bronze, just days after being discharged from hospital.
Amy says, “Winning a bronze medal at the International Malta Grand Prix last year was my proudest moment to date. I came back after illness and persevered through the entire competition. I came third in my first ever senior competition.”
Amy is a student at The University of Northumbria. Juggling higher education with a sporting career isn’t easy, but Amy’s tutors have always been sympathetic to her athletic commitments, and this support from Northumbria University has been extended to a Performance Athlete Scholarship. Her daily routine involves a tight schedule of lectures and seminars, fitness training with the university sports team, and shooting practice with her coach, Iain McGregor,one of the most highly qualified and experienced shotgun coaches in the UK.
Amy talks about the logistics of balancing study and training: “I take my work with me and complete assignments whilst I’m away training. The university are extremely understanding with this, and we work together to fit my academic studies in with my training.”
But intense training comes with financial cost.
“Pellpax have made all the difference,” says Amy. “I use approximately 1200 cartridges per month, and they’re expensive, so the harder I train, the higher the cost.”
Pellpax supplies Amy with Hull Pro One cartridges, which deliver such high performance that they have been selected by the World Class Performance Programme as the Olympic training load.
Pellpax contributes to Amy’s travel costs, too. “There are plenty of competitions I couldn’t have attended without their help.”
During training and competitions, Amy wears Pellpax clothing, and gives a glowing review of the warm sweatshirts and joggers that she has been enjoying during this winter’s low temperatures.
“There’s a strict training regime at the university, which has continued throughout the cold weather and heavy snow. My warm Pellpax clothing has been wonderful!”
Training to be a world champion, as well as studying for a university degree, might be enough on most people’s plate – but Amy is an exceptional lady. Together with her younger sister, Erin, she co-ordinates a ladies’ and girls’ shooting club. Proceeds from monthly meetings are donated to charities such as Bloodwise, an organisation striving to defeat all 137 types of blood cancer, and the Great North Air Ambulance.
This year, Pellpax’s Golden Girl will be shooting at international competitions in Malta, Italy, and Spain. And after that?
There is no hesitation from Amy: “I want to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. That’s my dream.” Then she adds, “I’m enjoying the journey towards it. I’m training hard and meeting so many people. It’s a really nice experience.”
… And Pellpax will be with her all the way.
If you are interested in providing further sponsorship for Amy, please contact Amy at [email protected].
Based in Norfolk, Pellpax is a nationally recognised company, led by a strong ethos of giving something back to the community. Sponsorship of the Norfolk Branch RMA (Royal Marines Association) is one of the ways in which Pellpax contributes to local fundraising, with national impact.
The Royal Marines Association was established in 1946 to support those Marines who were being ‘demobbed’ (now referred to as the ‘transition’ to civilian life), to look after those in need, and to keep the serving and retired community in touch with one another. That continues today, through the Association’s network of support, stability, and friendship, run by members, for members. For cadets, servicemen, reservists, and veterans, and for those who are facing medical discharge or embarking on civilian life, the RMA is the constant thread that runs through the lives of the entire Royal Marines Family.
As Martyn Holmes, Norfolk Branch Treasurer, explains
“It’s a sort of benevolent network. Members look out for where assistance might be needed, and then try to find the most unobtrusive way of providing it – in passing, as it were. Quite often, it’s just as simple as keeping in touch.”
Most of this local support can be achieved at little expense, and therefore the bulk of locally raised cash goes to Central Funds, to help provide greater assistance for the most deserving cases.
Firing for Fundraising
Norfolk Branch is a part of East Anglia Region, which, for seven consecutive years, has raised more money for the RMA than any other region. Much of this success is due to Norfolk Branch’s unique way of engaging with the public; it’s called the Zero-Danger-Area Firing Range.
Having to be seen to be believed, the Norfolk Branch RMA’s unique (and literally zero-danger) firing range is the brainchild of one of its members, Jaime Graham. Coached by former Royal Marines, members of the public can test their skills with real weapons, in complete safety. It’s a popular attraction at outdoor events, such as the annual Norfolk Show, and people return, time and time again, to improve on their scores.
Pellpax helping to break the ice
With sponsorship from Pellpax, the Zero-Danger-Area Firing Range is, of course, a means of fundraising. But it serves an even more important purpose: it helps to break the ice. The target-shooting activity puts people at their ease, and interaction follows naturally, resulting in people’s greater understanding of how the organisation can support its members – but more importantly, an understanding of why this support is needed in the first place.
Pellpax is proud to support the Zero-Danger-Area Firing Range, and to contribute to the welfare of active and veteran Royal Marines. As Pellpax boss, Darren Kirk, says: “Freedom doesn’t come free, and often it’s the men and women of our armed forces who pay a heavy price on behalf of us all.”
Serving and retired Royal Marines and their families, as well as Royal Marine Cadets, can join the RMA through the website: https://royalmarinesassociation.org.uk/. Donations to the RMA, to support those of its community who are in need, can also be made via this website.
Based in Norfolk, Pellpax is a nationally recognised company, led by a strong ethos of giving something back to the community. Sponsorship of Reeds Target Shooting Club, in Kent, is one of the ways in which Pellpax contributes to the accessibility and inclusiveness of shooting sports.
Reeds Target Shooting Club was established approximately 100 years ago, as part of an in-house sports and social club at Aylesford Paper Mills. The mill was owned by the philanthropic newsprint tycoon, Albert Reed (1846-1920), a man who believed in fostering a happy working environment for his employees and their families. Aylesford Paper Mills became one of the largest paper-making plants in Europe, and its sports and social club thrived.
In the 1990s, however, Reeds International pulled out of paper manufacture and sold the Aylesford site, leaving Reeds Target Shooting Club without a home.
John Lucas, the current club secretary, and former Reeds employee, says, “We’ve been nomads, renting space from two other local clubs: Bearsted & Thurnham Rifle Club, and Tubslake Shooting Club. Once a month, we hire space at Bisley Shooting Ground. But it’s not the same as having your own place.”
Creating a disability friendly shooting range
For many years now, the members of Reeds Target Shooting Club have been fundraising for a new, disabled-friendly range, incorporating a clubhouse with office and storage space. The money is slowly accumulating, but there’s still some way to go.
With approximately 100 members, aged between 10 and 80, the club has a thriving social atmosphere; the driving factor is safe, competitive fun. But, as John explains, it’s difficult to cater for those who want to progress and reach exceptional standards.
“Because we don’t have our own shooting range, there isn’t the opportunity for coaching and intense training. Years ago, the club did really well, competitively, and we had quite a few high fliers. Now, we simply do not have the facilities to nurture this sort of ambition.”
Lack of premises also has an impact on the club’s growth, but the demand for shooting doesn’t decline with disability or older age. By law, each new member must receive a certain amount of instruction; however, with restricted availability of facilities, it’s impossible to provide the necessary instruction for an unlimited number of new members. As a result, there’s a lengthy waiting list – frustrating for everyone concerned, but a positive reflection on the club’s reputation.
How Pellpax have helped
Much of the fundraising takes the form of social events, such as quiz nights, barbeques, and the annual Christmas dinner – with a raffle, of course.
John says, “Pellpax have been very generous. They’ve donated all sorts of shooting-related prizes, from pellets and accessories, to archery equipment – which has proved to be very popular – and even air rifles.”
Another popular event is the ‘race night’. You might think (or maybe it was just me) that this is a kind of sports day, with sack races and the like. But it’s much more exciting: you bet on filmed horse races, with the club playing bookie. If you take part often enough, you might even strike lucky and catch a repeat!
Reeds Target Shooting Club is 100 years old, and has been homeless for 20. After years of hard work and perseverance, its members are at last in sight of their goal; more than half of the required money has been raised, and several landowners have expressed an interest in the project. Pellpax is very proud to be a part of their endeavours.
Pellpax is extremely proud to be sponsoring the world-class Olympic Skeet shooter, Amy Brown. Amy has already competed in international competitions in Holland, Serbia, Málaga, Malta, Finland, and the UK, and is now in training for the Open Cyprus Grand Prix in February 2018. I caught up with Amy to find out what’s going on in her hectic life!
Having completed a foundation Law degree at Northumbria University, in Newcastle, Amy is now embarking on a course in Mechanical Engineering. Juggling higher education with a sporting career isn’t easy (yes, that’s a massive understatement!), but Amy’s tutors have always been sympathetic to her athletic commitments, and this support from Northumbria University has been extended to a shooting scholarship. Next time, we’ll find out more about this.
Amy’s training consists of regular sessions at the university gym, in order to build and maintain upper body strength and stamina. She follows a strict high-protein, moderate carbohydrate diet, balancing muscle-building with sustained energy levels. For shooting practice, Amy divides her time between Beverly Clay Target Centre in East Yorkshire, Bywell Shooting Ground in Northumberland, and Auchterhouse Shooting Ground in Dundee, Scotland, where she receives instruction from her coach, Iain McGregor.
One of the ways in which Pellpax assists Amy is to supply cartridges for training. At the moment, she’s using Hull Pro One Cartridges, a high-performance product that has been selected as the Olympic training load.
“They’re fantastic pellets. They just feel really good.”
The 2018 Open Cyprus Grand Prix will be held from February 4 to February 12, in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. As the largest airgun competition in the world, and the first international competition of the year, it’s a popular, well-attended tournament. Amy will be competing in the senior ladies Olympic Skeet event.
“Cyprus is one of the largest open competitions in the world. Everyone from Olympians to world cup medallists go at the start of the year to see where they are at, at the beginning of the season.”
In addition to furthering her own career as a world-class competitor, Amy works with her younger sister, Erin, as co-ordinator of a ladies’ and girls’ shooting club. Proceeds from monthly meetings are donated to charities such as Bloodwise, an organisation striving to defeat all 137 types of blood cancer, and the Great North Air Ambulance.
Whatever is going on in the present, or in the near future, Amy never takes her eye off the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The qualification process will begin at the end of 2018, and Amy is determined to be part of Team GB.
Do well in Cyprus, Amy! From everyone here at Pellpax.
Target shooting is the most accessible, inclusive, and integrated of all mainstream sports. With a little innovation and lateral thinking, the sport can be adapted to accommodate a wide range of disabilities and special requirements.
One of the leading lights in the campaign for disabled-friendly shooting clubs is the Disabled Shooting Project (DSP), and at its head is co-ordinator, Elizabeth (Liz) Woodall.
Beginnings
I asked Liz about the conception of the DSP – how and why it came into being. Her story begins in 2005. When Liz was unexpectedly made redundant, she took on a temporary administrative role with the National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA), helping to sort out gift-aid on membership.
“Working through the records, I realised that there were a lot of sad letters from people about not being able to continue their membership because of old age or disability. It seemed such a shame that they were giving up the sport they loved and the social life that goes with it. Some of the letters went into quite a lot of detail, and their stories affected me. I thought, ‘I’m certain there are ways to help some of these people to continue shooting.’
“I approached two people from the NSRA: Charlie Blow, who was on the Board of Management, and Dave Froggett, the Coaching and Development Manager. They clicked with the whole concept. The three of us put the thing together, and Charlie was prepared to push the Board to take this seriously.”
Liz, Charlie, and Dave organised a consultation meeting in Wolverhampton.
Launching The Project
“We invited all the people we knew, who had anything to do with disabled shooting. The purpose was to see if there was enough genuine interest in our concept – to find out how far people would actually support it with their own resources – i.e. their time, effort, and money. There was an overwhelming vote to go for it, and so the next step was to put together an outline plan for getting it all off the ground.”
The project was launched. Liz and her husband, Brian, came up with an idea for a logo, and they spent an evening together doing all the artwork; there was, of course, no money available for professional services. (I think it’s a super logo!) Brian was running the NSRA website and editing the NSRA magazine, The Rifleman, so there was no difficulty in spreading the word via those media. The initial introductory leaflet was also a home brew, and Charlie Blow’s company generously paid for it to be printed.
“Right from the start, the DSP had a voluntary Steering Group that met every four to eight weeks to collaborate on, and oversee, the various areas of work that we were involved in. It consisted of representatives of the main target shooting disciplines, National Governing Bodies, and coaches. These people were fantastically important in making the DSP a success, by promoting and encouraging its work within their own fields. In addition, the Steering Group was truly remarkable for being the first and only fully pan-discipline co-operative body operating in the sport.”
Alongside her admin job, Liz worked at helping people with disabilities to continue with, or to take up, shooting. Eventually, the paid work came to an end, but Liz continued to work with the DSP. When Sport England heard about the project, they expressed an interest in funding it, provided that it was taken over by British Shooting. Liz and Charlie agreed, and Liz applied (successfully) for the job of co-ordinator.
How the DSP Works
I asked Liz, “How does the DSP work?”
“Well, a shooting club will contact us for advice. This might be general advice, like how to adapt the clubhouse for wheelchair users, or advice about helping a particular individual to take part, which might involve special equipment. We pass on information via email and telephone, and sometimes we’ll pay a visit, to see what’s already in place and to talk to members about their requirements. A lot of it is about motivation.
“We’re also contacted by a lot of individuals: disabled people, their relatives, friends, or carers – and even specialist medical professionals working with them. They want to know if target shooting could be an option for them; the answer is invariably “yes”. Then they ask how and where they can get involved. The three key requirements are: a welcoming club, suitable equipment, and a sympathetic coach – so, from the start, we set about making sure that those would all be available to as many people as possible.”
The Buddy System
“A club established in the DSP system will partner a club that’s new to it, giving advice and support.For example: a new clubhouse is being built, with disabled access in mind. A club that’s already gone through this process can offer advice based on their own experience. It’s not difficult; it just needs a bit of knowledge. The same system applies to coaches who are learning how to work with disabled shooters and need a more experienced mentor; and also to individual shooters, who can buddy-up with someone who has a similar disability, so they can help each other along. This scheme is particularly valuable where a club or shooter is geographically isolated – they can be helped via phone, email, skype, etc.”
Liz gave a lovely example of the buddy system.
“The longest-distance help we provided was to the Falkland Islands, where a disabled chap wanted to join the Port Stanley club. After contacting us, not only was the club coach buddied-up with coaches in Britain, but several clubs over here invited the Port Stanley people to take part in postal competitions, which was a huge boost to that club’s activities.”
Challenges of Funding
In July 2014, Sport England’s funding came to an end, and although the NSRA would have liked to take it on, this was not financially feasible. It was agreed that Liz could hang onto the logo and the website, and the DSP went back to being operated on a voluntary basis.
One of the most important services provided by the DSP is the development of equipment for individual shooters. Those working with the project devote a lot of time to sourcing off-the-shelf equipment that would be particularly suitable for those with some disabilities, and also finding ways of adapting it to suit even more people.
Even so, some shooters, particularly those with more severe disabilities, really need one-off pieces of equipment, tailor-made for them. In some cases, these aids have enabled shooters with disabilities to reach very high standards, and to compete in national and international competitions. One of the leading experts in this field is John Kelman (featured in our previous blog), who joined the DSP at the initial consultation meeting in Wolverhampton.
Liz also mentioned the charity, Remap (http://www.remap.org.uk/). Remap recruits retired scientists and engineers, who will construct one-off pieces of kit that can improve the quality of life for disabled people. This work is all done on a voluntary basis.
The Future of the DSP
So what does the future look like for the Disabled Shooting Project?
“My hope is that many of my colleagues on the Steering Group will be prepared to re-form it as soon as it’s possible to do so. This may be dependent on some grant or sponsorship, as they are geographically widely spread, and their travelling expenses really ought to be covered, as they were in the past. As you can see, there is going to be a lot for me to do to get the whole thing running properly again on a voluntary basis.”
If you would like to know more about the work of the DSP, visit the website: http://disabledshooting.org.uk. Plans are in hand to up-grade and up-date this site over the coming months. To contact the DSP, email [email protected] or phone 07527 579 686.
This month our correspondent Hazel Randall takes a close look at the world of disabled shooting….
Target shooting is one of the most inclusive and adaptable sports. In the last 20 years, there’s been a tremendous change in attitude towards disabled sport in general, heavily influenced by dedicated individuals who join together to form strong support systems. To understand where it all began, let’s go back to the 1940s, to the father of the Paralympic Games…
The Paralympic Games
Sir Ludwig Guttmann (1899-1980) was a brilliant German neurologist and passionate advocate of physical exercise as a means of therapy for injured military personnel. Dr Guttmann, a Jewish refugee, set up the National Spine Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Buckinghamshire. This specialist unit, opened in February 1944, became the birthplace of revolutionary new therapeutic systems, which focussed on the building of physical strength and self-respect.
On July 29th 1948, as the Olympic Games were officially kicked off in London, the very first Stoke Mandeville Games were being held at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Organised by Dr Guttman, this competition was a sporting arena for wheelchair athletes from all over the UK – a harbinger of great things to come. When Dutch ex-servicemen joined the competition in 1952, the event became known as the International Stoke Mandeville Games.
In 1960, Dr Guttman held the 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games in Rome, alongside the Olympic Games, and from then on, the newly named Paralympic Games have taken place every four years. Since the 1988 Games in Seoul, Korea, the Paralympics have been held in the same host city as the Olympic Games, and the two competitions have been united.
The word Paralympic is a blend of Olympic with the prefix para- (Greek: ‘beside’), denoting alteration or modification.
The Disabled Shooters Group
DSG President Adrian Last in action
Richard Scott was a keen skeet shooter. According to Mr Scott’s wishes, donations collected at his funeral in 1995 were used to fund a have-a-go disabled shooting event at Sandringham Shooting Ground, in Norfolk. At the time, Sandringham Shooting Ground was managed by Graham Brown, whose wife, Yvonne, arranged for participants to be accommodated overnight at a nearby nursing home, where she worked.
The success of this event led to others of its kind, and it was not long afterwards that the Disabled Shooters Group (DSG) was founded by Adrian Last and Brian Wilkie, two friends who first met at the event sponsored by the late Richard Scott. Brian Wilkie suffered from a severe form of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and died in 2005.
In 1984, at just 24 years old, Adrian Last had a serious motorcycle accident, which resulted in a paralysed right arm and the amputation of his right foot. The following year, having regained the use of his arm, Adrian got back on a bike and resumed the sport he loved: endurance racing.
“With my prosthetic foot, I had no toe movement, and couldn’t operate a foot brake, so my bike was adapted for me. The rear brake was controlled by a lever on the left handlebar, and I continued to compete in national competitions, alongside able-bodied motorcyclists.”
But in 1990, another terrible motorcycle accident left Adrian even more damaged. After lying unconsciousness for eight days, he awoke to discover that two of the vertebrae in his neck had been broken, and that he had lost the use his legs; he would never again be able to ride a motorcycle. But two years later, at the motorcycle club’s annual clay shoot, 32-year-old Adrian was launched into his next passion: clay shooting.
“I’d shot before. Being a farmer’s son, I was handling guns from 11 or 12 years old, shooting pigeons and rabbits on the farm. But it had been a while!”
Last year, Adrian won the World English Sporting and the World Sport Trap titles, bringing his total world golds to five. He has also won one European and many British gold medals, and was the first winner of the CPSA award for Disabled Shooter of the Year. Fifty-seven-year-old Adrian is the DSG’s life president and a determined campaigner for disabled shooting. Over the last 20 years, he has helped to bring the CPSA’s attention to this area of the sport, and his efforts have contributed to increased accessibility of shooting sports in the UK.
He said, “I don’t mind what you ask about my disabilities. If talking about this inspires somebody to get into shooting sports, then I’m happy.”
DSG Secretary Sam Nunn takes aim with some clay shooting
Sam Nunn is the DSG’s current secretary, responsible for organising shooting events. Three of Sam’s limbs are affected by a very rare syndrome called femur-fibular-ulna complex, and he has been using a prosthetic leg since he was just 15 months old. Sam, who won the CPSA’s Shooter of the Year award in 2014, has been shooting from the age of 12.
“I used to go out shooting rabbits and pigeons with my uncle. But when I was 17, I fancied having a go at clay target shooting, so I started looking around for a club. There were very few clubs that were accessible to disabled shooters, and certainly none near me.”
I asked Sam if things have changed in that respect.
“Yes. I’ve noticed, over the last few years, that attitudes towards disabled shooters have improved a lot. Of course, some disciplines are more accessible than others. For example, an Olympic Trap is shot from a concrete pad, which is easier for wheelchair users than grass.”
Sam told me that he has to choose his gun carefully.
“Because my arms are short, I opt for a gun with a shortened stock, which is typically designed for ladies; I’ve always been able to find something to suit me. For some, though, no gun off the shelf will be suitable, but it’s possible to obtain models with specially made stocks or electric triggers.”
Target Shooting is Accessible, Inclusive, and Integrated
Mick Kirby, of the Sussex CPSA committee, who had his lower left arm amputated, following a stroke, has been instrumental in arranging have-a-go days for people with disabilities.
“We ran one of these events last September, which was really well attended. There was a boy with autism, who particularly enjoyed the experience, thanks mainly to one of our members, who forged a good connection with the boy. This lad’s father was really chuffed.”
Mick told me, “Sometimes I’ll bump into someone at a competition, who’s still shooting after being introduced to the sport at one of our events. I don’t know if this particular boy has continued to shoot. I hope so.”
Mick is a determined character and has worked out a way of loading his gun one-handed, with the aid of a hip holder. At national competitions, he has won gold and silver medals in British skeet and American skeet, and he is also a referee. Mick is committed to promoting shooting for people with disabilities, but actually has a very positive view of the sport’s inclusive nature.
“The majority of clubs include everyone, without discrimination. Over the last few years, I’ve seen a positive change in attitude.”
I asked Mick how he will continue to promote disabled shooting. His reply was simple.
“I promote the sport best by shooting as an able-bodied shooter.”
Matt Skelhon
Matt Skelhon is a 32-year-old Paralympic gold medallist, whose first experience of target shooting was at the annual Inter Spinal Unit Games at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium.
Matt spent four months at the Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, Sheffield, after breaking his back in a road traffic accident when he was just 21 years old. The injury caused paraplegia, which is paralysis of the lower body. With lots of support from family and friends, Matt’s outlook was optimistic, and he made every effort to hurry up his recovery so that he could get on with life.
“I was always positive; I never despaired. I was pretty lucky.”
As part of his rehabilitation, Matt had a go at wheelchair basketball and archery, but it was during the WheelPower Inter Spinal Unit Games at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium, in April 2006, that he discovered a passion for target shooting. And he was very good at it!
He told me, “I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I like a challenge.”
Two years later, the British National Anthem was playing at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, as Matt received a gold medal for the 10m air rifle event in the SH1 classification. SH1 is for competitors who do not require a shooting stand.
“I felt absolute elation. Leading up to the competition, I’d been focussing on training, just thinking about the job in hand. It had been all about the shooting. And then, suddenly, here I was, with a gold medal round my neck. It was surreal!”
At the 2012 Paralympics in London, Matt won silver and bronze in the 10m and 50m air rifle events respectively, and he also competed in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was named Sportsman of the Year by the Peterborough Telegraph. The Pellpax team wishes him well for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
John Kelman
John Kelman is an amazing man. He takes the concept of thinking outside the box to a place where you can’t even remember what the box looks like.
When he began his coaching career, John was confronted with a hurdle that he has had to overcome many times during his life: dyslexia. Intelligent, compassionate, and innovative, John struggled with the reading and writing aspect of studying for coaching qualifications, but this difficulty was certainly not going to get the better of him. He persevered, and now holds the position of Regional Coach – the highest coaching level recognised by the National Small-bore Rifle Association.
John was determined to provide coaching to people with disabilities. “In the year 2000,” he said, “most shooting clubs didn’t want to know about anyone with a disability – so I started my own club.”
John has designed and constructed shooting aids for many very different needs, and each of his innovations must be ratified by the NSRA to ensure that users are not given an unfair advantage in competitions.
DSG Shooter Eirian uses his feet to aim and shoot.
Eirian, who had cerebral palsy, had very little control over most of his body, including his head. This meant that he couldn’t focus his sight on the target, aim the gun, and pull the trigger, all at the same time. John told me, “He was trapped in his own body.”
However, Eirian had good control of his ankles and feet – in fact, he propelled his wheelchair with his toes. So John devised a way for Eirian to manoeuvre the barrel of the gun by means of a treadle, which he also used to operate the trigger. John fixed a laser onto the barrel, so that Eirian only had to watch the target; when the laser hit the centre, he’d shoot.
Another student, also with cerebral palsy, was 21-year-old Paul, whose hands were turned outward at an extreme angle. “Paul can’t turn his hands,” the carer told John. “He’s never seen his palms.” John borrowed a lace from the carer’s shoe and looped it around Paul’s wrist; with assistance, Paul then had control over pulling the trigger.
John went on to construct a tidier and safer mechanism for Paul to use – “I called this the Equaliser, as it made disabled shooters equal with able-bodied shooters.” But it was probably that first taste of achievement that brought Paul back again for another go.
And then there was Vic.
A close up of shooter Vic Morris, in action
“I was approached one day by an elderly gentleman who said he’d read an article about me in the local paper. ‘Can you get my son shooting?’ he said. I said, ‘I’ll give it a go.’ I was expecting a little lad, but then in comes a grown man, operating his wheelchair with his chin. I went to shake his hand, and he said, ‘Nothing works, mate.’ Within a week I had this man shooting; within 12 months he was entering national competitions.”
Vic Morris was 28, married, and a father of two little girls when his neck was broken in a rugby scrum, leaving him paralysed from the neck down.
John built a complex machine, whereby the gun was fixed into a support, and the end of the barrel was weighted. A butt plate supported a bracket that in turn supported the stock, and because Vic had excellent control of his head muscles, he could press the stock down with his chin, levering the other end up. Vic’s wife loaded the gun for him, and the trigger was connected to a switch, which Vic operated with his tongue.
Vic Morris became a very good shooter, and he and John were close friends. Vic died in July this year.
As I thanked John for taking the time to talk to me, he said, “I have a challenge for anybody with a disability. Come and see me, and I’ll do my very best to get you shooting – whatever your disability. Just contact me at [email protected].”
British Blind Sport
Trial shooter, Paul, takes aim with the specialist equipment
A quarter of a century ago, nobody in the UK with visual impairment was shooting, but in 1994, Ken Nash, a life member of both the National Small-bore Rifle Association (NRSA) and British Blind Sport (BBS), introduced shooting for the blind into the UK. There are now more than 30 centres across the country that welcome visually impaired shooters. Working alongside these clubs, BBS organises competitions, supports the education of school teachers, and provides classifications to blind and partially sighted athletes.
In the Summer 2017 issue of the NSRA’s in-house magazine, On Target, Ken introduces Ecoaims Vis500, a new audio aiming device that has been chosen by the NSRA for visually impaired shooting in the UK. An infrared LED is placed near the target, and the Vis500 converts the infrared signals to audio waves. Via his sense of hearing, the shooter’s skills of calculation, concentration, and steadiness can be tested to the same extent as those of a sighted shooter.
Michael Whapples
One of the experts involved in the selection of the Vis500 was Michael Whapples. Michael has been almost totally blind since birth. He attended a special school for visually impaired children, where he first experienced the joys of target shooting. He showed enormous aptitude for the sport, and it became his passion.
Studying physics at Nottingham University posed problems – and not only for Michael. One of his tutors, Janette Dunn, published a paper entitled Teaching a Physics Laboratory Module to Blind Students, in which she analysed the problems posed by lack of vision. Michael was one of two subjects in her case study, and, in reading this interesting article, it becomes apparent that a huge adversity like blindness does not always outweigh copious amounts of talent, common sense, and intelligence.
Michael’s ‘day job’ is developing software for producing brail documents. Other software projects include a Smart phone app that provides an audio compass for visually impaired sailing, and an app to allow configuration of the VIASS aiming system. But Michael, like so many of the experts I’ve spoken to, embraces the flexibility of this sport.
“In target shooting, visual impairment doesn’t necessarily have to go down the audio route. Shooting can be adapted in so many ways – for example, those with some useful vision can do disciplines such as benchrest shooting, where a scope is permitted. Also, when thinking about this, whilst I know of no shooter using it, blind archers use the ‘back of the hand’ tactile sighting system, which provides a reference point for elevation. Maybe this method can be adapted for shooters.”
Steven Richardson
Last year, I had the pleasure of talking to Steven Richardson, who lost both legs and five fingers in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2010. Steven was part of an eight-man team who cycled 3051 miles across the USA, raising £100,000 for Help for Heroes. He participates in several sports, including shooting. You can read The Big Interview: Steven Richardson here.
In Memoriam, Vic Morris
Many thanks to Dave Froggett, the NSRA (National Small-bore Rifle Association) Coaching and Development Manager, for putting me in touch with many of the people who contributed to this article.
A marching band performing at Suffolk Armed Forces Week. Credit: Felixstowe Forward.
On the weekend of June 24th and 25th, the Pellpax Bullet took part in the Suffolk Armed Forces Week celebrations in Felixstowe, where the Royal Marines were celebrating one of their earliest victories.
As proud sponsors of the Royal Marines Association (RMA), an organisation that offers support and friendship to the entire Royal Marines Family, we were keen to find out more about the marines, their history, and the special network of support that is spread worldwide.
The Admiral’s Regiment
On October 28th 1664, The Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot was formed, under the leadership of the Duke of York and Albany (the future James II of England), who had been appointed Lord High Admiral at the age of three – a nominal, rather than operational, position. Almost from the beginning, the abbreviation, “The Admiral’s Regiment” was frequently used.
Towards the end of the second Anglo-Dutch Wars (March 1665 to July 1667), Landguard Fort, near Felixstowe, was successfully defended by the marines, under the leadership of Captain Nathaniel Darell, in a battle against Holland’s Regiment de Marine, a new corps formed in December 1665. This first land battle honour for The Admiral’s Regiment – which, in 1775, became His Majesty’s Marine Forces, and later, the Royal Marines – is recorded as one of the last opposed attacks on England.
As a defeat would have left the country poorly placed in the peace negotiations that followed, Captain Darell is considered a hero, and is honoured annually on ‘Darell’s Day’ at Felixstowe.
The Battle of Landguard Anniversary
This year marks the 350th anniversary of the Battle of Landguard and the first major land victory of the marines. So, this year, the Suffolk regional Armed Forces Week celebrations were centred around that historic event, resulting in a spectacular weekend.
More scenes from the main stage at Suffolk Armed Forces Week. Photo: Felixstowe Forward.
Taking part in the celebrations were members of the Royal Marines Association, founded immediately after WWII to help marines who had been injured, or who were suffering from what is today recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Rundle, who served in the Royal Marines for 33 years, is President of the East Anglia Region of the RMA. He explained what this voluntary organisation is all about.
“The RMA is run by members, for members, offering practical and emotional support to cadets, servicemen, reservists and veterans – and also to their families. Because of recruiting nationally, and from Commonwealth countries, former marines are scattered all over the UK and, indeed, the world. The RMA helps to keep us all within the fold of the Royal Marines family.”
The Work of the RMA
Mark has been active in the RMA for many years. He talked to me about some of the ways in which members of the Royal Marines family are given assistance.
“Some veterans are men who have lived productive civilian lives since retiring from military service. But then, when they grow old, and their wives are ageing too, they might need a bit of help with shopping and housework; maybe they’re widowed, and are just in need of company; and there are those, of course, who need full-time care. Having been self-reliant all their lives, these are, of course, also the very last people ever to dream of asking for any help.
Historical re-enactment during Suffolk Armed Forces Week. Photo courtesy of Felixstowe Forward.
“Not all veterans are old. Some are young men who have been physically damaged in recent conflicts. The NHS is brilliant at saving lives and putting our wounded servicemen on the road to rehabilitation. But the prosthetic legs provided by our stretched health service are basic; they’re just made for walking. Our young amputees want to run; they want to row boats and ride bikes, climb up mountains, and ski down them.”
Mark explained that to provide the men with this quality of prosthesis, we must raise funds and look to the USA, where top-of-the-range legs can easily cost $50,000 a pair (and for complex needs can cost much more). This is an area where funding is so vital, where quality of life hangs in the balance. Mark told me about Captain Jon White, who lost three limbs – two legs above the knee, and his right arm – in an explosion in Afghanistan.
“Royal Marines charities made a grant of £97,500 to enable him to travel to the USA for the fitting of, and training with, the specialised limbs required. He is just one of many who need our support.”
The RMA also cares for the families of marines. Mark told me about a Norfolk couple whose son was killed in Afghanistan just a few years ago.
“They focused on their grief, not realising that they were surrounded by the Royal Marines family. With the couple’s permission, an acquaintance arranged for RMA volunteers to attend the funeral, and the Association was able to provide some support during following years.”
The stalls at the event, including the Pellpax Bullet, in the distance. Photo courtesy of Felixstowe Forward.
When Mark first joined the Norfolk Branch of the RMA, he was amazed to learn that the members had coordinated their efforts to engage with the public at fund-raising events by using their very own “Zero-Danger-Area” Mobile Air Rifle Range. Having specialised in weapon training as a junior officer, and with years of experience of all manner of firearms, he was sceptical: “I couldn’t see how a portable air-rifle firing range could be made completely safe.”
Zero Danger Area Range
It seems, though, that the RMA Norfolk Branch really is in possession of a bone fide zero-danger-area range. Having to be seen to be believed, the Norfolk Branch RMA’s unique firing range is an inspired contraption, and the brainchild of one of its members, Jaime Graham. An air rifle is fired, completely safely, down a large-diameter pipe; after puncturing the target at the end of the pipe, the pellet passes into a sealed bullet-catcher through a thick carpet fabric, which absorbs much of the pellet’s energy; the pellet strikes a steel plate, set at a 45° down-angle, and is deflected downward into felt.
The whole arrangement completely prevents any possible chance of a backward ricochet. To complete the safety of this unit, which allows for three shooters at any one time, each air rifle muzzle is fixed into the firing end of its pipe, ensuring that pellets can only travel safely down the pipe and into the bullet-catcher.
Members of the public can therefore test their skills with real weapons, in complete safety, and they can do so on two levels: the relatively easy Rifleman competition, where scoring on a large bull is ‘inward’ (meaning that if a pellet touches a dividing line on the target, the competitor is awarded the higher score); and at the advanced, and much harder, outward-scoring Marksman level, on each of five, much smaller, bulls. Coaching by former Royal Marines helps to break the ice, as everybody naturally wishes to shoot just that little bit more accurately. Competition is often fierce, with many people returning time and again to better their scores and thus try to secure “bragging rights” among their friends!
The Pellpax Bullet makes it debut at the big event. Photo copyright Pellpax 2017.
However, despite its appearance at fund-raising events, the portable range was never intended to be purely a money-making tool. People are sometimes reticent about talking to military personnel; they are shy, maybe, of the uniforms and the medals, and wary of an organisation rooted in British history, yet unfamiliar to so many of us.
Mark told me: “The purpose of the range is to help us engage with the public. The target-shooting activity puts people at their ease, and interaction follows naturally, resulting in the general public’s greater understanding of how the organisation can support its members – but more importantly, an understanding of why this support is needed in the first place.”
Norwich 100 Bike Ride
In his four years as a member of the RMA, Martyn Holmes, former Chairman of the Norfolk branch and present Hon. Treasurer, has twice completed the 100-mile route of the popular Norwich 100 Bike Ride, raising over £2,000 for the cause.
“Since I left the Royal Marines in ’92, the war in the Middle East raised its ugly head, and our troops were so deployed. Since then, we’ve seen hundreds of deaths and horrendous injuries from all arms of our forces, as well as families who have been torn apart. If raising a few quid to add to the coffers helps in some small way, then that makes sense to me.”
Cycling 100 miles is a feat beyond the capabilities of most of us, but Martyn made the achievement despite being hampered by damaged hips.
Soldiers check out the guns, blades and archery equipment. Photo copyright Pellpax 2017.
“I developed osteoarthritis in both hips, almost certainly from yomping with 100-plus pounds on my back over the mountains of Arctic Norway, followed by 20 years on firearms ops within Norfolk Police. My active careers took a toll on my hips, and, as a result, I had bi-lateral hip resurfacing. That basically means I have metal hip joints. I did the ride with a good friend, who was there in case my hips seized up – and they nearly did!”
If you’re wondering what yomping is, it’s long distance marching, carrying full kit. This load comprises: a Bergan rucksack, usually weighing well over 100lbs; fighting order, containing basic survival kit, water, and ammunition; a helmet and body armour; a radio; and at least one weapon.
Yomp is the Royal Marines’ very own acronym of ‘your own marching pace’, but as any marine will tell you, it’s actually carried out at the much faster pace that your commander thinks you should be yomping at – which isn’t quite the same thing, really …
Pellpax Sponsorship
Thanks to the dedication of its members, the East Anglia Region RMA has, for the last seven consecutive years, raised more money than any other RMA region in the whole of the UK. And now Pellpax is lending a hand too, in the form of sponsorship. Pellpax has donated four air rifles for the mobile range, as well as regular donations of pellets, competition prizes, and rifle maintenance.
Talking about the Armed Forces Weekend event, Mark said, “The new Pellpax Bullet trailer was stationed next to our firing range. The Pellpax team told people, ‘You can look at these rifles here, but you can have a go with them over there,’ and the RMA volunteers pointed out Pellpax as ‘our very kind new sponsors’. The synergy was wonderful.”
Mark summed up the essence of the RMA. “Our members make the Association what it is, and it’s their activity that is reflected in the way we are organised and run. It’s their efforts which raise the funds to enable these life-changing interventions.” The RMA’s message to its members is, “We’re the constant thread that runs right through your life, providing camaraderie, support, stability, and practical help. Once a marine, always a marine”.
The Malta Grand Prix 2017 took place from June 10 to June 18 at the Malta Shooting Sport Federation (MSSF) ranges at Bidnija, a tiny village in the northern part of Malta. The MSSF was established in 1908, and in 2008 it produced a book, A Century of Organised Shooting Sport in Malta. In his introduction, president Saviour Portelli says that the work of the MSSF “makes shooting sport the primary sport in Malta, and thus our country expects shooting to provide the first Olympic medal”.
In temperatures reaching 30°C, Amy and her fellow competitors shot daily from 9a.m. to 7p.m. For a whole week, the athletes spent most of their time in each other’s company, and, despite an abundance of competitive spirit within the group, there was plenty of camaraderie and bonhomie. Amy told me, “Training and competing alongside these excellent shots gives me inspiration to push forward.”
Amy with seasoned shooting coach, Iain McGregor
Malta wasn’t Amy’s first experience of shooting in intense heat. In the summer of 2016, Pellpax funded her trip to Málaga, where she trained hard and competed in the Junior Grand Prix, winning Gold in the Junior Ladies event.
Amy is trained by coach Iain McGregor, who is based at Auchterhouse, in Dundee. Iain has been coaching for more than 30 years, and has achieved all three levels of International Sports Federation Coaching Certificates. He is one of the most highly qualified and experienced shotgun coaches in the UK, and holds international qualifications at the highest level.
Amy’s first step on her shooting career ladder was success at the Target Tokyo trials, after being scouted by an APSI (Association of Professional Shooting Instructors) coach during the summer of 2015. Since then, she has competed in the British Championships, the Captain’s Cup, the Grand Prix in Holland (winning team gold and high gun and shooter of the competition), and international competitions in Serbia and at Bisley Shooting Ground, in Surrey. In the past nine months, Amy has won a Gold in Málaga and a Bronze in Malta – her first senior competition.
May receiving her trophy
Results like these don’t come easily. Amazingly, Amy is studying for a degree in Law at Northumbria University, in Newcastle. Despite a heavy study workload and a gruelling training regime, Amy is a regular visitor at the campus gym, where she works out to build and maintain her stamina and upper body strength. (“It’s vital to maintain a high level of training at all times.”)
In her pursuit of excellence, Amy has had to tackle many mental challenges. Travelling to new places and living among strangers can be daunting, but Amy doesn’t give in to nerves. She continually pushes herself to her limits, overstepping the bounds of her comfort zone.
“It’s made me mentally stronger and more capable of holding my nerve in competitions.”
Amy’s next competition will be in Finland, mid-July. We all wish our Pellpax Girl every success!
She’s done it again! Two more personal best scores for sixteen-year-old Olivia Hill at the British Open Airgun Championship.
website, and the DSP went back to being operated on a voluntary basis.
DSG President Adrian Last in action
DSG Shooter Eirian uses his feet to aim and shoot.
A close up of shooter Vic Morris, in action
Trial shooter, Paul, takes aim with the specialist equipment
In Memoriam, Vic Morris
