Since the 1990s, Mike, from the Warragul Drouin Rifle Club, has been a stand-out district team shooter and wind coach. He joined the state-representative Victorian team in 2010 and since then has enjoyed success at state championships and international competitions.

Thanks to the grant, Mike was able to cover his travel and accommodation costs to attend the Australian Squad training sessions in Adelaide, Canberra, and Brisbane helping him and his team to focus their sites on upcoming national and international competition.

The training sessions have given him valuable skills to learn and adapt to the coaching styles required at the national level.

Subsequently in August Mike and his team were able to represent Australia at the World Championship in Canada.

Proud of his team’s achievements Mike says,…“having previously won the F Class Open World Championships in Raton USA in 2013, against a strong field of teams including of course the USA on their home soil, the Canada event meant that Australia had a chance to become back to back World Champions, a feat not yet accomplished!  In short, WE WON!”

Mike attributes his success in developing his skills and adopting the coaching methods required to be a part of the Australian team to the many events and training sessions he was able to attend in 2017 thanks to the Athlete Pathway Travel Grant.

Congratulations to Mike and his team for their recent success at the World Championships.

Since 2015, the Athlete Pathway Travel Grant program helped more than 580 athletes, teams, coaches and officials from all over Victoria to travel to training, competition and national championships, developing their skills and go on to success.

The next round of the Athlete Pathway Travel Grants program will open on 30 January 2018.