Sport & Motorsport
A teenager from Te Anau is making it big on the Junior World clay target shooting circuit.
Jack Heslip (19) came 4th for Olympic trap in the Junior category representing New Zealand at the World Championships in Germany recently.
He lived in Wales in a caravan for six months of the year from April until September, working at campsites and shooting grounds in the lead up to the competition.
“I am not a fully funded athlete like in the final in Germany. Out of the eight competitors, only two were not paid atheists, including myself.”
Jack also took out the Junior World Ball trap title in the UK this year, and has been selected to represent New Zealand in a 3-person junior team vs Australia in Sydney in mid-January.
“I am planning to move back to Wales for 6 months to compete in the European circuit where I have Junior World Cups and Junior World Championship,” he said.
Jack grew up on a farm in the Hokonui hills where he spent a lot of time doing pest control with his dad.
He first started the sport at the Balfour Gun Club on a Friday afternoon at age 11, through Northern Southland College.
For the first two years he learned how to handle the firearm in a safe way, and then from Year 9 to Year 13 competed in the Southland circuit and North island/South island, as well as the New Zealand Secondary School Nationals.
He’s won a few titles under the close eye of coach David Baker, and was lucky in 2021 that the Nationals for Olympic Trap was held at Balfour Gun Club.
Steve Robinson is part of his coaching team, and his first World Championship was in Peru, followed by Germany and Italy.
“I went and achieved which has open up many opportunities to allow me to progress in my sport and dreams to represent Southland and New Zealand.
"I am super grateful for all the support that I get from my hometown,” he said.
Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/jack.heslip.2025
Instagram link https://www.instagram.com/jackheslipnzl/