Shooting Australia awarded Paralympic Pathway Grant

Shooting Australia has received a $141,750 grant from the Australian Institute of Sport to identify and engage a new generation of Para athletes across the pistol and rifle disciplines and provide them with skilled coaching via performance hubs and camps.

The initial two-year grant program covers a three step Pathway Program - Discover, Develop and Deliver.

Advising that the grant will support the identification and development of Para Shooting specific coaches, Shooting Australia High Performance Director, Adam Sachs stated “we are immensely grateful for this AIS funding as the grant will support the development and progression of new talent through the Para pathway to the Para National team.

“We want to ensure sustained success of our Para sports program, capitalise on opportunities for medal success, and build a critical mass of high performing athletes.

“To do this, we will be looking to identify more coaches to lead the establishment and delivery of performance hubs. We will support these selected coaches by upskilling them to increase their awareness of coaching Para athletes.”

Noting that there is often a significant development time between an athlete taking up the sport and making their international debut, Sachs added “if often takes between six to eight years to develop into a competitive Para athlete. However, athletes who have had exposure to other elite level sports before transferring into Shooting can have a shorter development period.

“As a result of this Pathway Program, we believe we can develop a Para athlete cohort that understands what is required to win at pinnacle events and increase the number of coaches around Australia who have the skills to educate and guide the next generation of Para and Able-bodied athletes.”

Image courtesy of Paralympics Australia.