The Hunter River Times

If you live in the Hunter, you know who Dan Repacholi is. As the Hunter’s Member for Parliament, Dan is committed to making sure the needs of the Hunter region are heard. But he’s not just a champion of our region, he’s also a world class shooting champion who has set his sights on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. If he makes it through the selection process it will be his sixth Olympic Games.

Dan has been shooting since the age of 12 and in the past three decades has racked up some amazing achievements, three gold medals and three bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games and countless other trophies and awards both nationally and internationally. However, an Olympic medal remains elusive, and it is a goal that Dan has not stopped stop chasing since his first Olympics in 2004.

Now he’s one step closer, competing in Brisbane on January 14 at the first of four Olympic Games selection events for the 10 metre pistol. Two more events will be held in Sydney in February, with the final event back in Brisbane in March.  The top three shooters from these four events will then head to Rio for the World Cup and the chance to qualify for the Olympic Team.

“The first of the selection events was last weekend and I shot a 570. Matthew Sydes and Bailey Groves also shot a 570 putting the three of us in equal first. The next closest score was a 559 which is not really in the running,” said Dan.

“It’s a good result to start off what is going to be a long and hard road, but bringing home an Olympic medal is what has driven me all these years and I’m not going to stop pursuing it.”

Making time to train is a lot harder these days then back when Dan was a 22-year-old attending his first Olympic Games. His busy work schedule doesn’t leave a lot of free time, and Dan said the only way to find the minimum two or three hours a day he needs to train is to get up early, or squeeze in a couple hours in the evening.

So what is it that motivates Dan to dedicate over 30 years to the sport?

“I love shooting. I’ve always loved the sport,” said Dan.

“But the main reason… I love winning. 

“Some people say it’s all about the love of the sport and don’t talk about winning, but I think they only say that because that’s what’s expected.  Of course I love the sport, but I also have no problem being honest and saying that I enjoy pushing myself to the brink because I love to win and that’s what I aim to do every time I compete.”

-Rebecca Connolly