Wanaka teenager Ruth Bennie smiles when she thinks of anyone trying to guess what sport she has a national title in.
‘‘I'm pretty sure if they didn't already know me they would never guess trap shooting,'' the bubbly 14-year-old says.
The Mount Aspiring College year 10 pupil competed in the National Trap Shooting Championships in Christchurch earlier this month.
Competing in the open category against top women shooters from New Zealand and Australia, she won the grade and also went on to win the 2016 New Zealand Ladies Single Rise Champion national title after shooting a perfect 50/50 score.
‘‘I was the only one to hit the whole lot all in a row,'' she said.
Last year she was named female Champion of Champions at the secondary schools national championships held in Hamilton in September.
Originally from Southland, Ruth and her family, father Ewan, mother Kathryn, and sisters Kate and Nicola moved to Wanaka about two years ago.
She had ‘‘grown up using guns'' and before taking up clay target shooting loved to follow her father around on hunting and shooting expeditions.
‘‘I'm not sure what it is ... I guess I just love the outdoors,'' she said. Last year in year 9 she joined the Wanaka Gun Club and had not looked back, ‘‘winning something'' at every local shoot.
There were few women involved in the sport at higher levels.
‘‘Not many females get to national levels,'' Ruth said.‘‘And if I met someone on the street and asked them to pick what sport I had a national title in I doubt they'd choose shooting.''
She was grateful to share love of the sport with her father who coached the college shooting team.
Netball, basketball and dance were also on the after-school programme of activities.
But for now the focus remained shooting.
‘‘The most important thing is to have fun, to keep going with the Wanaka Gun Club and to do the school's competition circuit again.
‘‘You've got to go out and keep enjoying it."
- By Cris Johnston
