Willett chasing fourth Olympics

The championships mark the beginning of the Olympic qualification period, with quota places for the Los Angeles Games up for grabs.

“It’s an important part now as we go through these next lot of international events,” Willett said.

“There’s a lot of hard work over the many years of shooting that goes into it, and sacrifices.

“I’m looking forward to getting there and trying to perform the best I can, and hopefully bring back a good result.”

Willett departs Australia on November 2, following a training camp with the Australian team at Melbourne Gun Club, before completing final preparations for Doha.

The championships follow a successful few months for Willett, who returned from the ACTA NSW State down-the-line (DTL) Championships after claiming the overall pointscore championship with a perfect score of 387,and the AA Grade High Gun with a score of 465 out of 475.

While DTL shooting differs from his specialist Olympic trap discipline, Willett said the state championships provided a valuable opportunity to maintain his competitive edge.

“It was probably the biggest single-barrel run in the pointscore event that I’ve had.

“I’ve come second in a couple of state titles in the pointscore events and single-barrel events over the years, so it was nice to get that win.”

The results are a timely confidence boost ahead of the international competition, reinforcing his technique and mental approach under pressure.

Despite his experience, Willett said balancing his sporting ambitions with business and family commitments remained a challenge when competing against professional shooters.

“The biggest challenge is competing against professional athletes around the world that are getting paid to shoot, whereas we’re trying to manage businesses and jobs in between our shooting,” he said.

“On my day, when I’m at my best, I know I can compete with the best in the world.”

Willett made his international debut in 2014 and has spent more than a decade competing at the highest level, including the past three Olympics games.

Training involves shooting two to three days a week, complimented by fitness work to maintain peak condition.

“I can probably use that experience as my strength now, whereas back in 2016 I was still quite young and learning from the best in the world at the time,” he said.

Away from competition, Willett has continued developing Shelford Shooting, his private, clay target shooting facility at Mulwala, which has grown since opening in 2017.

Featuring an Olympic trap layout, the facility allows Willett to train while allowing competitive shooters from across Australia opportunities to practise and receive coaching.

He said it had been rewarding to see people travel to the region to use the range, while come-and-try sessions had introduced the sport to people from different backgrounds.

Among those developing their skills is emerging young gun shooter Nate Pulubiski, whose progress has been a source of satisfaction for Willett.

“It’s been good to see him come through as a highly competitive junior and coming in to win some open competitions,” he said.

Willett’s own journey began with Corowa High School’s clay target shooting program.

With support from his parents Arthur and Dionne, he progressed through junior, state and national competitions before reaching the international stage.

As Willett prepares for Doha, he will draw on more than a decade of international experience as he looks to make an early impression in the race for Los Angeles 2028.

Willett is supported by local sponsors Central Murray Bank, Hargreaves Secured Investments, ClubMulwala and Yarrawonga Toyota.