Over the weekend (1 to 2 March), Shooting Australia in Partnership with Paralympics Australia, hosted its inaugural Para Talent Transfer Camp. The event, held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and the Canberra National Pistol Club, brought together prospective para-athletes with Shooting Australia’s national coaches and performance staff, to give them a glimpse into the world of high-performance shooting sports.
Shooting Australia’s Para-Shooting Technical Lead, Catherine Berry, highlighted that “The camp was an opportunity to introduce athletes who had expressed interest in our sport, and to help them understand what the sport of shooting is, and what it takes to be successful in it.” The camp focussed on athletes who are already part of para high-performance sport system through sports such as weightlifting, athletics, triathlon, cycling and archery, and incorporated athletes with a diverse range of disabilities and impairments.
The two-day camp gave the athletes the chance to try both rifle and pistol disciplines, whilst also highlighting some of the fundamental technical and safety skills essential to shooting. As Catherine explained “As well as giving the athletes hands on experience, the camp also explored the psychology of shooting and the strength and conditioning work that help athletes perform at their best.”
The event garnered significant attention from the para-sporting community, with many prospective athletes expressing interest in attending. Catherine reflected, “There was a very healthy expression of interest from the community. It was a very positive outcome for the future of para-shooting, and we look forward to hosting more of these camps to accommodate those who unfortunately missed out.”
The camp coincides with Shooting Australia’s increased focus on growing the Paralympic Shooting team ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games and beyond. As Shooting Australia CEO, Adam Sachs, stated, “The para talent transfer camp reflects Shooting Australia’s increased commitment of resources and development opportunities to the para program. The development of competitive para-athletes will be a key focus as we aim to maximise our qualification numbers and overall performance at the 2028 LA Paralympic Games. This growth and success will be an important springboard for the development of our Paralympic team in Brisbane in 2032.”
