23 April 2008

Dundee shooters are top Dollar

Three top marksmen from Dollar are all shooting their way to success with the help of the University of Dundee.

Sam Adamson (medicine), Phil Lucey (civil engineering) and Jonny Borland (accountancy) are all studying at the University and while in Dundee are taking advantage of the excellent sporting facilities to help bolster their skills.

The three, who regularly compete at international level for Scotland and are all members of the current world champion GB under-25 team, are all engaged in specialist weights programmes within the Strength Performance Centre at the University’s Institute for Sports & Exercise (ISE).

"The kind of shooting we do, with long-range full-bore rifles, means we can be in position holding a heavy rifle for around an hour," said Jonny (21). "We have to maintain good upper body strength, not just for competition but also just for lugging all our gear around!"

"Maintaining your fitness can also help concentration levels, which are absolutely vital for us, so for us to have access to the kind of support we are getting while at the University is fantastic."

The trio are being supported in their athletic endeavours by the Tayside & Fife Institute of Sport, which is based within the new £4.5million extension to the ISE.

"The University facilities and the support we are getting from TFIS is great, beyond anything I could have expected," said Phil (20). "I’m not the sort of guy who is normally dying to get inside the gym, but it’s no hardship coming here."

The trio - who are all former pupils of Dollar Academy and became interested in shooting through attending the local Army Cadet group - now all have their sets sight on some considerable challenges ahead.

"We are all working towards the next Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, and then hopefully beyond that Glasgow in 2014," said Sam (22), who also shoots in competition for the Army, who are supporting her through her degree.

Catriona Semple, Area Manager for the Tayside & Fife Institute of Sport, said "the Institute is committed to supporting elite athletes such as the Dollar trio. Strength & Conditioning is a key element of all elite athletes training programmes. Sam, Phil & Jonny have access to first class training facilities, here as well as first class strength & conditioning coaches to support their development to the World & Commonwealth Medal success".

"TFIS and sportscotland were delighted to invest lottery money towards the purchase of this excellent equipment here at the University of Dundee to support the shooters and other TFIS athletes athletic development".

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk