November 17, 2025
Olympic trap shooter James Willett was the special guest of the Kingaroy Clay Target Club at the weekend, providing coaching tips to 15 keen young shooters.
The shooters, aged 11 to 17, enjoyed free coaching from one of the top competitors in Australia, thanks to sponsorship from Stanwell and the Queensland Police Clay Target Club.
Willett, from Yarrawonga in Victoria, represented Australia at the 2016 Rio, 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
In Paris, Willett shot 123 out of 125 targets to earn a spot in the finals and come home in 6th place.
It’s a big achievement to just earn a spot at the Olympics as only 32 shooters from around the world are chosen to compete.
Willett told southburnett.com.au he spends about 15 weeks a year competing at international events, including world cups and various championships.
But while most international shooters are paid, Willett also has to earn a living at home.
He juggles his shooting commitments with farming (where he has also developed his own shooting range) and is now completing a mature age apprenticeship as a builder.
But all the hard work has paid off, with Willett rated in Number 1 spot in the world at the start of 2025.
Kingaroy Clay Target Club spokesperson Erica Stallwood said she had seen a big improvement in the young shooters’ abilities after a few hours coaching by Willett.
And some of the older club members had also benefited after a session with him on Friday.
Trap shooting is a growing sport with 208 junior shooters in Queensland, with 53 in the Western Zone alone (which includes Kingaroy).
The Kingaroy Clay Target Club has about 90 members and hosts a shoot on the first Sunday of every month.
