Georgina Geikie

Q&A

• What does it mean to you being selected as a Lloyds TSB Local Hero? How will the Award help?

  It's brilliant to be selected as a Lloyds TSB Local Hero. My family and I have all banked with Lloyds TSB all our lives. My local branch in Okehampton, Devon have all been so supportive towards my sporting activities and now I hope I can help them and Lloyds TSB in the lead up to London 2012.
  The award will be a huge help towards with my day-to-day training, enabling me to train as full time as I can from now until London. It will be especially helpful now that as of 2011 I've no government/lottery funding.

• How did you first get involved with your sport?

  I got involved with shooting thanks to the Pony Club initially competing from the age of 5 in Tetrathlon (shooting, running, swimming and riding) competitions. Then learning to Fence, I competed at National Level in Modern Pentathlon. As a result of training time constraints, after a year of University I cut down from training for 5 different events to competition standard, to just the one, shooting.

• What are your three greatest achievements?

  Winning a Quota Place for the 2012 London Olympics, European Championships, Belgrade 2011
  Bronze medal-Commonwealth Games, (Delhi India 2010) Pairs Sport Pistol
  Bronze medal-Commonwealth Games, (Melbourne Australia 2006) Pairs Air Pistol
  7th at the Europeans Championships (Croatia 2009) Sport Pistol.
  Current British Record Holder for Air and Sport Pistol (Qualification and Final score)

• Tell us about any challenges you have overcome to follow your sporting dream.

  So far I have overcome three challenges to be where I am at the moment. The first was I achieved a very respectable 2:1 degree BA (HONS) Product Design at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC). I was in the top 15% of my year group, whilst at the same time training to compete at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and winning a bronze medal.
  The second challenge I was faced with came after the Beijing Olympics, when British Shooting had 80% of its' funding cut and therefore all funding stopped to me. I managed to raise sponsorship to enable me to continue training and competing nationally and internationally.
  My third and most significant challenge is related to my .22 pistol. As a result of Dunblane in 1996 all .22 pistols were banned in the UK. Even to the British team, who's' guns were stored in Switzerland where we trained. Even with not being able to train in the UK I achieved a 7th place at a Major match (the Europeans). But as of January, I can have my .22 pistol at home and train with it in 2 locations in the country, Bedford and Bisley-Surrey.

• Do you have any family members who have achieved success in sport? If so, please provide some details below.

  My parents have competed with horses successfully for many years. My Dad was a Point to Point jockey and my Mum very successful in the show ring.

• What advice would you give to a young person considering taking up your sport? What would your top three tips be?

  Shooting is a great fun sport. You get to learn a lot about yourself and handle nerve-raking situations. My 3 tips would be:
  1- Fellow shooters are always very willing to help, so ASK if you need help.
  2- You may be nervous, but you're not the only one, all your competitors are in exactly the same boat!
  3- Always remember to have fun!