Between the 29th of June and the 5th of July, Shooting Australia hosted its second annual Trans-Tasman Para Training Camp at the Brisbane International Shooting Centre (BISC) in Queensland.
This training camp brought together para shooting athletes from both Australia and New Zealand with the goal of enhancing practical skills, providing educational opportunities, strengthening international relationships and growing target shooting sports participation in the Oceania region.
Building off the success of the inaugural Trans-Tasman camp last year, three para-athletes, as well as a team coach and a member of support staff travelled from New Zealand to Brisbane to take part in this year’s camp.
The Trans-Tasman camp was attended by four Australian high-performance athletes as well as six Para Uplift Program athletes, giving them a chance to learn and improve their skills across four days of camp activities and training opportunities. This event also aligned with the BISC Cup #2 pistol and rifle competition offering the athletes in attendance a chance to put their skills to the test in a tier 1 domestic competition.
The 2026 Trans-Tasman Para Training Camp had a broader scope of focus, incorporating workshop activities and educational opportunities for attending athletes, with workshops hosted by Sport Integrity Australia as well as Shooting Australia’s Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Lead, Jane Altschwager.
In an effort to equip athletes for success, the camp additionally offered athletes an opportunity to consult with an optometrist to ensure that they’re current lenses were optimal for high-performance shooting, as well as a chance to get a set of moulded ear plugs to preserve their hearing.
Reflecting on the importance of opportunities like the Trans-Tasman Camp, Shooting Australia’s Precision Program Manager and Para Technical Lead, Catherine Berry, said, “Our goal with these camps is to prepare our athletes for international competition and to foster a connection with other international high-performance programs, to ensure that we can collectively work towards creating more opportunities for para-athletes.”
“This year’s camp was fantastic. With an increased number of athletes, coaches and supporting staff, it was easy to see the incredible growth that has taken place in the para shooting space over the last 12 months. This is momentum we will look to carry forward towards the 2028 Paralympics in LA and Brisbane in 2032.”
