Te Anau clay target shooter Jack Heslip is excited about making his international debut later this month.

The Northern Southland College student, who is in his first year with the SBS Bank Academy Southland programme, will represent New Zealand for the first time as part of a seven-strong national team at the 2024 ISSF junior world championships.

Jack, who will compete in the Olympic trap event, got his start as part of a regular Friday afternoon club held by his school at the Balfour Gun Club.

Along with learning about firearms safety, the sessions taught students how to shoot and Jack proved a quick study. Under the watchful eye of club members including the late Henry Bennett, Jack developed his craft to the point he was dominating at junior events across the region.

Encouraged to take part in the nationals being hosted at the Balfour club by Steve Robinson, Jack took the next step.

“I didn’t know anyone there, there were four or five juniors there and I managed to get top junior and that sparked something.”

The junior world championships are being held in Lima, the capital of Peru, from September 26 to October 7 and includes clay target shooting, along with rifle and pistol events.

Jack’s two-day event is a challenging one. He’ll be shooting five of nine possible programmes, with a total of 75 targets on the first day and another 50 on the second day. From there, only the top six shooters advance to the final.

“I’ve got mixed feelings about it. I’m excited to go and I want to perform well. It’s my first international competition so it’s a great opportunity which has opened up for me.”

Support from the Academy, which includes training in key areas of athlete development, has been gratefully received by Jack this year.

Working alongside mental skills coach Jason McKenzie, Jack has also drawn on the sports nutrition knowledge of Aimee Hall.

“They have done a lot with me, especially Aimee with the nutrition and Jason on the mental side of things,” Jack said.

“Because it’s such long days I want to fuel my body for the whole competition. It’s not like some other sports where if you muck it up, you can gain it back - if I miss one or two targets, it’s game over.”

The hard work doesn’t stop there. Campaigning for junior worlds included a pea straw fundraiser last summer, while you will also find Jack working hard at Te Anau’s RD Petroleum where he does everything from stocking the shelves to making the coffees.

The clay target community has been a positive and supportive environment for Jack, who enjoys the focused nature of the sport.

“If your mind is jumping all over the place and thinking about things like what you’re going to have for tea, it’s not going to work. You have to be in charge of your emotions.”