Sam Wightman: junior shooter and hunter and future scientist extraordinaire
by Adam Leto
There’s a simple saying in the Wightman household: “the family that hunts together, stays together.” It’s a philosophy that has served parents Peter and Helene well. Not only do they get to spend plenty of time with their two sons, Sam and Ben, but just as importantly, it allows them to play a key role in their development and so far, it seems to have paid dividends.
“We do think that having them shooting and hunting from a young age has done some good for them,” says Helene. “When we go, we go as a family. You have to trust the people you are hunting with and we make sure that we always respect the environment and respect ourselves.”
Whether it’s hunting, fishing or camping, the Wightmans try to head out together at least three or four times a year. The positive flow-on effects, according to Helene and Peter, is that Ben, who is currently working as a NSW paramedic, and Sam, have learned from an early age what responsibility, safety and discipline are all about.
As most parents with teenage children can attest, it sounds a lot easier in theory than it does in practice. However, the Wightmans have not had too many problems and much of their success as parents, along with their sons’ achievements, can be attributed to what has been learned out on the range and on the land.
For youngest son Sam, 16, whose earliest hunting memory was shadowing his father as a five-year-old, the seeds planted by his parents many years ago are clearly starting to sprout. The Mullumbimby High School student’s research project at the Young Scientist of the Year Awards, held at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney late last year, saw him take out second place in the Earth Science and Environment category. His experiment, ‘Corn Growth and the Effect of a Recyclable Material on Countering Soil Salinity’, even impressed keynote speaker Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and special guest speaker Richard Saunders. Richard is the immediate past president of the Australian Skeptics and also a former Mullumbimby High School student.
“I think Sam would make an excellent environmental scientist. His teachers say it comes so naturally,” said Helene, who herself is a clinical pharmacist. “I think it comes from allowing him to go out and observe first-hand what it is like out on the land. He’s been going out on family hunting trips from as soon as he was old enough to walk.
“He talks to the landowners and knows that you don’t get anything for nothing - you have to work for it and put in the hard yards.
“Sam enjoys being part of the property and being able to make a difference. Being out there makes him aware of the land and everything there is to it.”
It’s not just in the field of science where Sam has excelled. The young pistol shooter and hunter shows an interest in anything that is a little “out of the ordinary”. He has won the school’s Leadership Award every year since starting at Mullumbimby High School and he also attended the Leading and Achieving Conference held in Sydney last year.
Sam’s efforts were even recognised by the local member for Ballina, Don Page MP, who wrote to Sam late last year and described his achievements as a credit to his family, his school and our region. Mr Page also paid special mention to the discipline learned through Sam’s involvement with the shooting sports.
When he’s not out practising conservation hunting or trying to bend spoons, Sam can be found at the beach or at his local park terrorising batsmen with his medium-fast pace deliveries. This, of course, is all in between his senior school studies, which Sam hopes will lead to university where he plans to undertake a degree in either law/science or the environment.
It’s certainly a busy life for Sam and one that doesn’t leave him with much spare time, but the on-the-go teenager wouldn’t have it any other way. “I like to have a go at most things,” he says. “I especially like being outdoors. That’s just how I’ve been brought up. Whether it’s at the beach or out on a remote property, it’s just a great way learn new things.
“When it comes to camping or hunting, most people don’t understand what it is like when you’re out there.”
Sam’s father Peter, who is the secretary of Cape Byron Pistol Club on the NSW North Coast, agrees. Having watched both of his boys grow into responsible young adults, he is quick to credit the role the shooting sports has played in their development, which is still ongoing.
“Being out on a property gives you a real link, not one based on TV. Once you get out on the paddock and you’re with the family, it breeds a mutual respect,” says Peter. “It gives you confidence and teaches responsibility, which is an important part of growing up.”
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