In 2004 Suzy Balogh took centre stage at the women’s clay target shooting in Athens. She did herself and Australia proud returning home clutching glorious gold.

Balogh is now an athlete and mentor becoming the Athlete Ambassador for shooting at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) where she will help up and coming shooters.

“I see my role as a supportive and encouraging one, especially being a woman in a male dominated sport, I hope that the girls feel like they can confide in me”, said Balogh of her position.

Balogh is backing up from her involvement in the 2005 AYOF during which she “met so many juniors at the AYOF and I later bumped into them at the World Championships where I was competing against them”.

One of the bright stars Balogh will keep her eye on is young gun, Catherine Skinner. At just 16 years of age Skinner competed in the World Championships in Croatia earlier this year. Her remarkable eighth place in women’s trap at this event is understandably her career highlight so far.

However, trap wasn’t Skinner’s first choice of weapon. She began shooting Down the Line (DTL), a method not practiced at an Olympic level. She was spotted at the National Competition by none other than Balogh who sponsors a incentive called the Olympic Endeavour Trophy.

Balogh’s aim with the program is to encourage female shooters to switch to trap shooting, thus allowing them to compete at a higher level. Skinner was the recipient of this converted prize in 2005.

“It is great to see one of the recipients of the award go on to compete at the elite level”, Balogh said.

According to Skinner being a woman in a man’s world does have its benefits.

“There is certainly more chance of success in the sport for women and you goals are more easily achieved”.

Having said this Skinner would love to see some “fresh blood” in competitive shooting to build a stronger Australian team which is currently limited.

There is only one other Australian female shooter vying for victory at the AYOF in 2007, trench shooter, Laetisha Scanlan.

Scanlan agrees that it would be fantastic to see shooting evolve with her aim being “to encourage further involvement by women making for stronger competition”.

For Scanlan, the AYOF is her first international event and she is hopeful that it will not be her last.

“I am looking forward to representing my country and meeting athletes from other countries that share my interest in shooting”.

For both girls the AYOF is a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Scanlan points out that “the AYOF is a good representation of who we will be competing against for years to come”.

To get behind the girls at the AYOF head out to the International Shooting Centre at Cecil Park from the 18th-21st of January 2007.

The 2007 AYOF Shooting Team is:

Brendan Burgess - Holt, ACT, 2815
Jason Carney - Noonmah NT 0837
Nicholas Kirley - Mansfield VIC 3724
Mathew Maloney - Green Valley NSW 2168
Rodney Mitchell - Werribee VIC 3030
Anthony Rullo - Lake Boga VIC 3584
Laetisha Scanlan - Berwick VIC 3806
Catherine Skinner - Mansfield VIC 3722

Nicky Park
AYOF