Well done to Para Trap shooter Mike Drever from Leven who responded immediately to a last minute call up from British Shooting Talent Pathway Coach Christian Schofield to compete in the British Shooting Grand Final at the Faux Deglas Shooting Ground in Wrexham Wales. It took no time at all for the proud Orcadian to accept the invitation and head south to compete alongside the leading GB Olympic Trap and Skeet performers plus six of the country’s top Para Trap shooters. Many of these performers are among the best in the world in their respective disciplines.
Practice went really well for Mike, achieving a new Personal Best in a round of 23 from 25 with a high hit percentage of 77%. Although he started slowly, Mike carried his good form into day one of competition and in the end was pleased with his overall consistency in such a prestigious event. On Day 2 Mike started well with a 19 and signed off with another PB of 23 from 25 in competition, and an overall score of 95 from 125. Although this was not good enough for a podium finish Mike was delighted with his performance. Had he achieved this score at the Para Trap World Cup in Italy earlier in the year he would have qualified for the final. Mike also finished the competition 8 targets ahead of the current ranked British no. 1 in class PT3 Para trap.
Wrexham was a great confidence booster ahead of next year’s World Cup competitions that are scheduled for France and the United Arab Emirates. Most importantly Mike is now confident that he can compete with the best at the highest level in the sport. He has only been shooting the discipline for 6 months but his scores are improving with every competition. Understandably Mike cannot wait for the 2018 season and the challenges that lie ahead for him if he is to gain a place in the British Shooting Team for the World Championships in Italy.
Mike supports the fore end of the gun with his impaired left arm. Because he has no hand he does not have the ability to grip the gun and this of course makes gun control more difficult. Mike is coached by Iain Macgregor, one of the world’s leading coaches in his shooting discipline. Mike shoots 2 to 3 times a week depending on his weekend competitions programme and has a midweek practice at Auchterhouse Country Sports. For the past three years Mike has been employed as Project Manager in the Estates Department at the University of St Andrews
In 2015 Mike set himself a goal of representing Scotland in Olympic Skeet. After only 12 months of shooting competitively Mike was selected to represent Scotland at the 2016 Home Countries International Tournament, in Lispopple, Ireland. Later in the same year he was also invited to the CSF (ED) in Wales. It was there he became aware of Para Trap and he shot his first trap competition in March 2017. Mike has now set his sights on becoming successful internationally in Para trap and perhaps one day competing at a Paralympic Games.
Mike is the first Para athlete based in Fife to excel in international shooting. He is indebted to the Association of Fife Rotary Clubs and the Fife and Scottish Disabled Sports Trusts for financial assistance with his competition programme to date.
Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife