By Alesha Capone
The Werribee Victorian Clay Target Club will host a fundraising day at the weekend in support of two athletes heading to the Tokyo Olympics.
Laetisha Scanlan and James Willett are both coached by Olympic gold medalist Russell Mark.
Mark runs Go Shooting at the club’s Quandong base. offering clay target shooting instruction and experiences.
Scanlan, 31, is one of the main instructors at Go Shooting’s Werribee events.
She has won multiple gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in trap shooting and competed in the 2016 Olympics, along with Willett.
Scanlan and Willett will represent Australia at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which will be held July 23 to August 8 this year.
Money raised at Sunday’s event will help with Scanlan and Willett’s Olympic preparations, such as attending a mandatory training camp in Brisbane.
The event will offer people the chance to take part in a 30-minute clay target coaching session with either Scanlan or Willett, including a safety briefing, warm-up and a competition for over-12s.
The five highest scorers will take part in an Olympic-style final.
There will also be a raffle for Olympic memorabilia and a barbecue in return for a gold coin donation.
“For anyone who has never shot a gun before, James and I will help you do so in a safe and fun way,” Scanlan said.
Scanlan said she took up trap shooting at the age of 15 as a “bonding experience” with her father, a recreational clay target shooter.
“I’m so lucky to be able to travel the world and do something I like and represent Australia, I feel honoured,” she said.
“I tell a lot of kids this: It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to be an Olympian, but it is so worth it.”
Scanlan said she placed fifth in her individual trap shooting section at the 2016 Olympics and she hopes to improve on that result this year.
She will also contest the Olympics’ team trap shooting event with Willett. The pair are World Championship holders of the title.
“At the Olympics, we would love to bring back a medal – when we get out there we can be quite competitive –and we would love that to be a gold,” she said.
The event will be held on Sunday from 10am at the Werribee Victorian Clay Target Club, 1225 Ballan Road, Quandong. Cost: $80. Bookings essential: goshooting.com.au
