Olympic shooting hopeful launches sponsorship website

Finance-related stress affects Sheree even on the firing point.

By Shooting

Friday, 02 September 2011

A young British Olympic shooting hopeful has launched her own website to help her find sponsorship in the run-up to next year’s Olympic Games.

Shooting hopeful launches website
Sheree Cox (pictured) who works three days a week as an art and textile technician at a school in Middlesex, shoots around the world entirely at her own expense because English shooters will not be provided with financial support until two years before the next Commonwealth Games.

The 21-year-old told Shooting Times magazine her financial situation is so stressful she has become ill, and that her mental state has a huge effect on her performance at shooting competitions.

She said: “The new website is going to be so important for me. This year I’ve spent £8,000 just on travelling, and that’s without food bills on top. I don’t even earn £8,000 a year!”

“Thankfully I’ve found some sponsors, which have covered things so far, but between now and Christmas I have four more competitions which I still need help with.”

Sheree said she is grateful to her employer, Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford, which allows her to take time off whenever she likes, but she emphasises that the situation is far from ideal.

“I can take as much time off as I want, but I don’t get paid for it. Shooting takes up such a lot of my life. This year I’ve spent about half the year away from home, at three World Cups, the European Championships, and five domestic competitions. It’s very time-consuming.”

“The financial situation definitely stresses you out while you’re shooting. My trip to the World Cup event in Sydney cost me £3,000, and I had 100 competition shots. When I’m on the fi ring point and I’m thinking that it works out at £30 a shot, there’s no way that helps my shooting.”

To sponsor Sheree Cox, visit www.shereecox.co.uk