A DUCHY College student, ranked as England number one in Pistol Shooting, hopes to achieve dreams of Olympic selection.

Charlotte Hicks, 20, is currently in her final year of Outdoor Education at Duchy College. She is also ranked third in British Shooting after securing the title in the 2021 Senior National Championships, but she is now setting her sights not only on her studies but even the Olympics.

“I’ve done three international competitions so far, so it’s about getting more senior experience for a chance to be selected for the Olympics,” explained Charlotte.

These international competitions, however, do not come cheap, totalling around £2,000 per trip. As well as this, Charlotte’s nearest centre being in London means that sponsorship is necessary for further training.

“I am hoping as many companies as possible would like to sponsor me so I can keep progressing,” she explained.

However, this has meant that the family home has become a makeshift shooting range: “I have a pellet catcher in the cupboard, I open all the doors that go through to the kitchen, put the table at the back and then I shoot onto the target, which is very challenging because I practice under a different light to what you would in a real competition.

“To get here wasn’t easy, I train at home without a coach, it’s hard to work things out on your own, sometimes it takes me three weeks to figure out a problem, whereas someone with a coach can fix that problem through direct feedback, but you get an understanding of why it works and how it works, it’s a problem-solving skill I have developed.”

Charlotte has already taken home a silver medal in Finland and secured an international personal best of 560 out of 600 points at the Grand Prix in Slovenia and Croatia.

Charlotte’s studies have also aided in her work, and Nicola Dorman, Study Programme Manager Outdoors at Duchy College said: “Charlotte is an amazing all-round athlete, we challenge her to access all types of activities like mountaineering, canoeing, rock climbing, she’s versatile and adapts to all sports and builds her position as an athlete."