Sharp shooter defies the odds

By MAIKI SHERMAN, Waiariki journalism student
Emily Olsen has defied the odds in a sport that is usually dominated by men.
The Taupo 20-year-old has become the first woman in about 40 years to win a Rotorua Rod and Gun Club championship title for Olympic skeet shooting.
Now she has the 2010 Olympic Games in her sights.
"It's pretty awesome when you look up [at the honours board] and see all those names and no women - until now," she said of her victory.
Skeet involves shooting at targets from eight stations, shooting both single targets and doubles from two separate towers.
Long-time shooter Tony Truss said women were better learners than men.
"Guys they tend to think they know everything and if they're doing the wrong thing, they turn around and do exactly what they are doing wrong."
Olsen came first equal overall with two other men in the recent club championships. In an extra round to decide who was the overall champion, she came out on top by two targets.
"It was quite hard to win, there was a lot of pressure."
Olsen is one of only six women in the Rotorua Rod and Gun Club but she said the men were really supportive and encouraging.
"It's amazing how much they support me. They're really awesome, always really proud of me. When I won they were so stoked."
Olsen has been skeet shooting for four years and Olympic skeet shooting for two. In skeet shooting, the competitor is able to start with the gun up by their face and indicate when they are ready for the target to be released. Olympic skeet shooting, however, requires the shooter to keep the gun at their hip before shooting and it may take up to three seconds for the target to be released after the call is made. The shooter may not raise their gun until the skeet has been sighted.
Olsen competed in the New South Wales State Championships last year in Australia, where she placed second. This year she plans to win. "I'm feeling quite confident."
She is also working towards the Oceania Championships in Sydney in October. If she wins, Olsen will be awarded a quota spot for New Zealand to compete in the 2010 Olympics.
"[Oceania's] a really big event for me. I really want to place in the top three."
To prepare for the tournaments, she has been working on her fitness: "I'm doing heaps of physical work. Nearer to the events, I'll be shooting a lot more."
Her shooting ability has worked for her on and off the mark: she received a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship to pay her fees at Waikato University, where she is studying towards a Bachelor of Sports and Leisure and a Bachelor of Secondary School Teaching. She hopes to become a physical education teacher.
"I just like teaching children and I love sport."
Olsen would like to see more women taking up shooting, which she describes as a great sport. "I hope my win encourages more women to take part."