Biography
Hi, I’m Kaz, a Welsh international pistol shooter.
I’m also a competition organiser, helping run various events across the country.
A new hobby
I started shooting when I was 28, initially learning prone rifle.
I didn't take it seriously at first, but quickly became hooked on the challenge of scoring a ten.
I entered my first postal competition in the lowest division, and I won.
I am so proud of that first medal!
My first live competition was at Appleton, and I was so daunted by how professional all the other shooters were!
I was in over-sized borrowed kit, I had no idea about range etiquette,
and only just remembered the course of fire.
Thankfully the Range Officers were fantastic, offering guidance & patience.
More challenges
Whilst still competing in prone rifle, I took up another discipline, gallery rifle.
I got fully involved, from making my own ammunition to practising timings.
I wanted to do everything possible to improve my scores before entering competitions.
I loved the combination of speed & accuracy in PP1 & Service B!
Changing direction
At this point I was dividing my time between prone rifle & gallery rifle,
spending four nights a week at my local gun club.
So when Ian kept going on about how brilliant airgun shooting was, I was reluctant to get involved.
Eventually I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about...
I borrowed the club FAS, struggled to load it (not quite getting my jumper sleeve caught, but close!), and could barely hit the target.
This was a lot harder than I thought! Not to be beaten, I started to train in air pistol too.
In 2003, I was offered some coaching along with other interested Welsh shooters.
It was at Aldersley with Trevor Haynes.
Poor Trevor, I didn't have a clue about stance, equipment, trigger control, or even how to aim properly!
Trevor spent a lot of time putting me on the right path to better shooting.
After a few competitions and winning some medals,
I decided to give up all the other shooting disciplines and concentrate solely on air pistol.
I miss prone rifle, but not the cold and rain at the outdoor ranges!
I've slowly progressed over the years, taking a break to sort out my life & work,
and I'm now training hard trying to qualify for the next Commonwealth Games.
Giving back
Even when I entered my first competition, I appreciated the work & effort that goes into organising competitions.
Without organisers, there would be no competitions,
so when I was asked to help out, I jumped at the chance.
I started helping out at various competitions back in my gallery rifle days, becoming a qualified NRA Range Officer,
but helping out at my first Welsh Open was a whole new experience!
I was still sorting out the squadding details the night before!! I was so disorganised.
Over the years, I've worked with other organisers in order to improve a competitors' experience.
New software is being developed all the time, and I want to ensure that shooting is kept up-to-date & modern.
One day, I hope to see shooting on tv, alongside tennis and football....