Hotshot Hegarty thrilled to hit her target of GB selection for Tokyo
KIRSTY Hegarty wants everyone to take inspiration from their darkest hour after she was announced as the first Northern Ireland athlete selected on Team GB for Tokyo 2020.
The Olympic trap shooter from Ballymena is one of the first four athletes confirmed on the firing squad for the postponed Games, due to start on July 23.
Hegarty learned her trade at Thatch Clay Target Club in Broughshane, Co Antrim and wants Team GB to make their mark despite Covid-19.
“It is the biggest achievement in my career to be selected for Team GB,” said the 32-year-old, who is one of more than 1,100 elite athletes on UK Sport’s World-class Programme.
“I’ve been shooting competitively for 12 years now. It feels like a long, long journey to get here and it’s great to see all the support from my friends, family and the National Lottery has paid off.
“The shooting community in Northern Ireland is very tightknit. The selection isn’t just a reflection of my achievements, it’s a reflection of us as a community.
“It shows how we inspire each other, make everyone feel relaxed and motivated.
“People always say that being from Northern Ireland, it must be hard to be selected on a UK scale because you’ve got to travel to England all the time. It just shows if you have the commitment, the talent and the dedication, anything is possible.”
Fuelled by National Lottery funding, being part of UK Sport’s World-class Programme allows Hegarty to train full-time and access the world’s best facilities.
Hegarty took up shooting as a teenager, sitting on the sidelines watching her parents compete in a Home Nations tournament. Her first ever shot was a hit, and the rest is history.
The Belfast resident won a quota place thanks to a World Cup bronze medal in 2019 and, a year later than expected, was named on Team GB alongside Seonaid Mcintosh, Matt Coward-holley and Aaron Heading.
“I’ve tried to focus on the good things in the last year and use the support of British Shooting and everyone at home to get through it,” she said. “The mindset of a competitor is to take the knocks and use them as opportunities.”
No one does more to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players, who raise around £30m each week for good causes. Discover the positive impact playing the National Lottery has on sport at www. lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtags #Tnlathletes #Tracktotokyo