By Ewa Chwojko-Srawley
Shannon Westlake from Keswick made her Olympic debut in Paris this year, marking an unforgettable milestone in her athletic career.
On Saturday, her Georgina supporters gathered at the MURC to congratulate her in person.
Westlake secured an Olympic quota spot for Canada by winning bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle three positions event – kneeling, prone, and standing – which took place at the 2023 Pan American Games.
This achievement allowed Canada to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
She shared that her journey to the Olympics was long. Resilience and perseverance carried her through, leading her to this incredible moment!
She says, “I was introduced to the sport as a cadet at age 12, but began Olympic-style shooting in my mid-20s. Unlike most athletes, I decided to complete my higher education and start a family before refocusing on my athletic career.”
The message of perseverance resonated with Darcie Grant and her children, Charlotte, 11, and Porter, 10.
Ms. Grant said, “I always tell my children, ‘Never give up; there will be stumble blocks but keep trying.’ Shannon just proved that resilience and perseverance can take you to the top.”
Her daughter Charlotte added, “I am so happy to meet a successful female athlete. She is a role model for us.”
Mayor Quirk, Coun.
Charlene Biggerstaff
Westlake noted that this year, for the first time, there was gender balance in the sport. It was once male-dominated, but that is no longer the case.
The 3-position shooting discipline may not be as popular as, say, soccer, so everyone was grateful for Westlake’s insights and explanations on Saturday afternoon.
We were fascinated by the demonstrations of shooting positions and loved the chance to try on her special competition jacket. We were also astonished to learn that the air rifle 10 ring is the size of a period in a newspaper!
She joked that her coach insists that her discipline is extremely easy, yet Westlake somehow manages to complicate it.
“In fact,” she says, “athletes doing 3-position shooting train in a highly specialized manner. For example, we have to practice maintaining balance and stability, develop breathing techniques, build the muscle memory needed for each position, and work on concentration exercises to block out distractions and stay focused.”
“Thousands of hours of training ultimately leads to the reward,” Westlake summed up.
Her advice to budding athletes: “don’t strive for perfection; strive for excellence!” She also quotes Seneca: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
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