Laitysha Wyatt
by Media Officer Rachael Andrews
SSAA member Laitysha Wyatt began her shooting career at the age of eight on her Uncle Strev’s farm in Lake Grace in Western Australia. Every chance she had, she would be in the paddock aiming at tin cans and pumpkins - a far cry from the rifle range where she now spends most of her shooting time. The 13-year-old is working to master Field Rifle, 3-Positional and other disciplines just months after starting to shoot on the range. The Western Australian now regularly shoots at Perth Field Rifle Club with her father, David.
“It is so different to being out hunting or shooting on the farm, but I really like doing it,” said Laitysha. “We found we really enjoyed shooting at the range and decided to do it more often, so we joined the club in September last year.”
Laitysha said while shooting on the range was a big change from shooting on the farm, she revelled in the atmosphere and the fun of competing against herself and others. However, she said there was nothing better than heading off on a hunting trip. Together with her father, she hunts rabbits, foxes and other feral animals that can affect the farm stock and crops.
“It was so different when I first shot on the range; there was a lot more safety involved and procedures to abide by,” she said. “Dad was always strict about the handling of the guns when we went on our shoots, so I knew that this was an important part of firearms.
“When we go on our hunting trips, we normally stay the night and we set up our swags and just bush it. We enjoy being away from everyone out in the open, with the fire crackling in the quiet of the night.”
Since making the move to range shooting, Laitysha said her aim had been improving and it has helped that “everyone at the club is really supportive and always happy to help”.
“We shoot every Sunday and every second Tuesday night,” she said.
“We do different disciplines and Benchrest would have to be one of my favourites because it’s really the only discipline at the moment that I can beat my dad’s score.
“I was invited to shoot at a local Silhouette club and I was excited to try this type of shooting. It was really challenging, but it was also lots of fun. I would like to get more into Silhouette shooting now that my skill levels are improving.”
Laitysha said she is proud to talk about her sport with friends at school and soccer on the weekends. Most of her friends are “shocked and surprised” that she takes part in regular target shooting and competitions, particularly the boys, who she says make comments such as “you’re a girl”. But Laitysha said she recommends the sport to everyone of all ages.
“I definitely encourage my friends and other people to get involved,” she said. “I would like to see more juniors join rifle clubs, so that the sport continues - and it makes it more fun when there are more competitors.
“It’s very different from the regular sports that I compete in. You become more self-disciplined and it helps to build your strength and confidence.
“You get to meet lots of new people from different clubs as well and it’s not hard to strike a conversation with the seniors or juniors because we all have the same thing in common - we like our shooting and our guns and we are all there to have fun.”
With her eyes on her future, Laitysha is aiming to become competitive in her own club and then at a state and national level. She recently competed in the National Field Rifle & 3-Positional Championships, which were held at Perth Field Rifle Club earlier this year, and more recently in the Western Australia Junior State Titles at the Southern Districts Rifle Club, winning gold in both 3-Positional and Field Rifle Rimfire C Grade.
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