Nathan Francis - air rifle shooter
by Rachael Andrews
It was a chance try at an Air Rifle shoot that put junior shooter Nathan Francis on the path to dreams he never realised were possible. The SSAA Moonta member only began shooting three years ago when his normal Friday night scout meeting was cancelled, but today, he dreams of participating at the 2012 London Olympics. He attended his first shoot with his brother and has since taken out several junior titles.
Nathan, who freely admits he’s not a particularly ‘sporty type of person’, started shooting at Moonta on a stand, a rest which supports the front of the rifle when shooters are starting out, and it was during this time that he remembers the club members helping him with every step.
“When I first went out there, they gave me the stand to use, told me how to put my feet and position my body and they really helped me with everything,” said Nathan. “With the help of a former Australian shooting representative and a current Australian champion, I was soon enjoying excellent scores.”
Working closely with juniors is something the Moonta SSAA branch prides itself on. The younger shooters are required to be supervised at all times while handling a firearm, allowing them to learn from someone more experienced, while also giving the club peace of mind because safety is paramount.
After 12 months of coaching by the local members and shooting on the stand, Nathan started offhand shooting. Mere months after this, he was successfully competing in state competitions, a feat that Nathan said he was proud of and proved you didn't need to play a traditional sport to do well at a higher level.
“I like that shooting is a sport. I’m not really a sporty or active kind of person and now I show that being active doesn’t always have to be football,” he said. “You don't always have to do what everyone else does.”
In September 2007, Nathan competed in the State Junior Air Rifle Titles and came first. He then defended the title in March 2008, before going on to compete in the Australian National Shooting Titles. At this event, he took out the Junior Champion award, shooting a score above many B and C grade scores and ranking eighth overall in the 2-Gun Air Rifle competition of 18 shooters. More recently, Nathan travelled to Sydney for the Australian National Youth Championships in Sydney, where he finished fourth in his age group.
Now looking at shooting on a national and international level, Nathan is working with ex-Olympic shooter Carrie Quigley and is a member of the Australian International Shooting State Junior Development Team.
“I want to work hard now; it's all about the practise,” he said.
The practice is obviously starting to give results too. Nathan set and beat a new personal best for the State Titles in March and also placed 12th overall in the 10m competition at the Nationals in April, 5th in the Under 18 category and 7th in the Under 21 junior category. With only 7 points separating 8th to 2nd place in the Under 21 category, the competition was close.
Nathan said that over the next few years, he would be looking to achieve Masters level scores in Air Rifle and Rimfire. He would like to compete interstate at national and state titles, to represent Australia at international events and of course compete in the 2012 London Olympics.
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