January 10, 2017
Bairnsdale’s Ben Burchell has been making an impact in the world of clay target shooting.
While the 15-year-old’s friends at Nagle College will be enjoying time off from school over the summer holidays, Ben will be lining up against Australia’s best shooters at the National International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Championships in Perth.
And now Ben has been named as one of 11 young Gippslanders to receive a $500 grant from the latest round of the Federal Government’s Local Sporting Champions program.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said Ben’s success was the result of the hard work and dedication of Ben, his supportive family and his coach.
“Ben has impressed many people with his dedication to his sport and his training. Those in the sport say he has what it takes to be among the best,” Mr Chester said.
Ben has been shooting since he was 12 and is now an A-grade skeet shooter. He won the 2016 Australian Clay Target Association National Skeet Handicap, the C-grade High Gun and was named the 2016 National Champion of Champions in B-grade.
“The National ISSF Championships will be my first national competition as an ISSF shooter,” Ben said. “I’ll have the opportunity to shoot against international athletes and, hopefully, I’ll be selected in the junior squad to compete in Italy at the ISSF Junior World Cup in August.”
Supported by his family, coach Lauren Mark and fellow shooter and Olympian Aislin Jones, Ben trains three times a week and is at the gym twice a week.
“I normally travel to competitions with my mum and dad. Next year, the amount of travelling we’ll need to do will continue to grow,” Ben said.
Mr Chester said the Local Sporting Champions grant was a small contribution to help families with the cost of elite competition.
“Competing at state, national and international level requires enormous dedication by young athletes and support from their families,” Mr Chester said.
“The Local Sporting Champions program is designed to support young athletes to reach their potential by easing the financial pressure of taking part in high-level competition,” he said.
The Local Sporting Champions program provides $500 grants to sportspeople aged between 12 and 18 years which can go toward the cost of travel, accommodation, uniforms or equipment when competing, coaching or officiating at an official national sporting organisation-endorsed state, national or international sporting championships or School Sport Australia state or national championship.
To be eligible to apply for a grant, applicants must live more than 125km from the championship venue and travel more than 250km return to participate in the nominated event.
Round three of the Local Sporting Champions program is now open and will accept applications until February 28, 2017. For more information on the Local Sporting Champions program, visit http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/local_sporting_champions.
Caption: Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester wishes Ben Burchell well, ahead of Ben’s departure for the National ISSF Championships in Perth next week.
