A BRITISH Shooting team rifle shooter is preparing for his first World Shooting Para Sport World Cup later this year – with the help of target practice in his nan’s hallway in Wells.
Josh Wintersgill has just heard that he has been selected by British Shooting in the 10m rifle category for the event in Al Ain, in the United Arab Emirates.
He was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive muscle wasting condition, but has overcome his disability to run several businesses, and has invented among other things a transfer sling for wheelchair users when they travel.
Thanks to encouragement from his nan, Anne Wintersgill, he got into shooting at a young age, and was proficient very quickly.
“She realised that doing sport was good for my disability, and one of the sports I could do was air rifle. I was very good at it,” said Josh, aged 32, who went to school in Wells at St Cuthbert’s Infants, Wells Central and The Blue.
He now lives in Shepton Mallet but his accommodation is not big enough for the electronic range he requires, so he visits Anne’s house two or three times a week to practise his shooting there. He also attends British Shooting training camps and domestic competitions.
The international championships in Al Ain, at which Josh will be making his major competition debut, start on October 25. He hopes that success there will help him keep progressing towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
“A strong result could see me move into the British Shooting World Class Programme and unlock annual funding to support my training, competition schedule, and travel costs,” he said.
He added: “My overall ambition is to encourage more people with a disability into sport. Taking part in sport is a way for some people of escaping the day to day reality of having a disability. It is also just something to do.”
He is grateful to Anne for letting him shoot at her house, saying: “Without her letting me do this I’d struggle to be at the level I’m at, and to get the training in to get to this level.”
Anne said: “I’m happy to give him all the encouragement I can give him. He’s got my 100 per cent support.”
The World Cup is self-funded, and Josh has now launched a GoFundMe to help with the costs involved, that come to £6,000. Details can be found at gofundme.com/f/help-me-reach-la2028-from-potential-to-podium