Cadet Sergeant Emma Wright, 16, from 447 (Henley-on-Thames) Squadron is aiming for success in the 2012 Olympics after being selected to attend the Great Britain Junior Rifle Squad. 

Emma, who has been a cadet for 4 years in the Oxfordshire Squadron, found she had a natural talent for small-bore shooting when she first fired the No.8 cadet rifle at 447 Henley Sqn her home unit scoring a highly respectable 85 out of 100. 

From those early days she has really progressed, first receiving extra coaching at her Squadron, before moving onto twice-weekly coaching sessions; a move that meant getting her own .22 RF Anschutz target rifle from Germany. Since then she moved on to daily training sessions and receives coaching approximately 4 times a week. 

“I remember the first time I went target shooting and I was amazed at what I was scoring!  After receiving some coaching I started to improve my score even further! From there I started going to my local shooting range in Crowthorne, I started shooting to the NSRA rules where the scoring method means it is harder to achieve good scores because shots crossing the line are marked down rather than up like in cadet competitions.  The next big improvement came when I got my own rifle an Anschutz Match 54 with an X barrel – the X means the barrel is of the highest quality.  The rifle is balanced and adjusted for me; to achieve a good stance in all of the positions I shoot at – prone, kneeling and standing – quite a challenge! To aid the positioning, I wear a specially fitted shooting jacket, shooting trousers, shooting boots, glove and sling – these really help you keep you stable and balanced”. 

Now, Emma has joined Maidenhead Target Rifle Club where she shoots 3 positional at 50m. She has also been selected to shoot in several competitions home and abroad this year, including county championships.  This will mean extra commitment to training and traveling to the weekend sessions all over the country.  

“It’s incredible, as soon as you get to a good standard – someone raises the targets again! The latest challenge has been attending weekend sessions where I can spend hours practicing and competing against the other people of my age trying for home countries teams and aiming for Olympic team places. The standard you need to achieve at this level is so high – I average a score of 97 out a 100 prone, with similar 3 positional scores.  What I hope to get from my daily training is consistency in every aspect of my shooting; day in, day out – that is the key to winning medals”. 

Emma is aiming to shoot at the Commonwealth Games; with her ultimate aim being to shoot for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics being held in London. 

“Well, I’ve a long way to go, but I am already competing with some of the top shooters of my age in the UK. To get a place at the Olympics I must push even harder and reach the top.  Of course along the way there will be some huge challenges but with determination and hard work, I will reach my final goal”. 

Finally, has she got any advice for other sharpshooters in the Air Cadets? 

“All I can say is listen to your coaches advice and work on your breathing and get a stable consistent position”.