A CRACK shot has her sights set on international glory after securing national success in her chosen sport.
Barnard Castle Preparatory School pupil Freya Scott competes in Laser Run, which tests her speed and endurance as well as the accuracy of her pistol shooting.
The ten-year-old, of Walworth, finished second in an U11 competition at Leweston School, Dorset, qualifying to represent Great Britain in Turkey in November. If she does well there she could then compete in the world championships.
Laser Run is a fast-paced event combining running and laser pistol shooting, often seen in modern pentathlon and triathlon competitions. In the U11s competition contenders have to run 300m, shoot five times, before repeating the process another two times.
Year 5 Freya competed in a field of 36 comprising boys and girls of different ages. “Because of the numbers it was difficult to tell where you were in your age group,” she said. “Also the finish was a bit of a tight squeeze which meant that a few milli-seconds could badly affect your final placing.
“Lots of people tried to overtake me near the end so I just sprinted for the finish. I only saw one girl ahead of me but was shocked and delighted when I was placed second.”
Freya has been competing since she was five when she took part in pony club tetrathlons where she had to throw beanbags at a target. Then when she was eight she was allowed to start pistol shooting, moving from pellets to lasers as her talents developed. She began pentathlon training when she joined Barnard Castle Preparatory School.
“I now have my own laser gun and targets at home and practise all the time,” said Freya, who wants to be a geologist but keep competing as an adult. “I knew I needed to achieve a time under three minutes and I managed 2.48. But the best world time is 2.36 so I need to narrow the gap even further.”
Head of sport Martin Burgess said: “Freya was offered the chance to try Laser Run when she joined Barney and it really suits her skills. She’s a talented runner and a great shot so she thoroughly deserves every success. We can’t wait for her to compete in Turkey and are confident she will do her very best.”