Five minutes with: Will Canter

How do you prepare yourself physically for competitions? 

Firstly, from a stamina perspective, during training I always complete four to five rounds in a day and where possible, leave time between rounds like I would experience in a competition (this can be between one and up to three hours). During term time, I can only really commit to one day a week, but in the holidays I increase my training that so that it mimics the competition experience across the three to four days. 

I also have created some habits that, if possible, I like to do for every competition. So, on the night before the competition, I love a good bowl of pasta! Before each round, I throw an orange ball to help wake up my eyes ready for the clays. Between rounds I tend to not eat a lot, enough to keep my energy levels at a consistent level and avoid ups and downs.

And what about mentally?

So much! It varies, but I will regularly visualise a competition during the week before and will use any time I can to do this including on the bus to school. This will include walking on to the layout, clearing the gun, calling, seeing and shooting the target, and then moving peg and getting ready to hit the next target. 

I also spend time before a competition planning for scenarios that I might find myself in. Some of these plans have formed over time based on experiences that have happened that I didn’t feel prepared for, others from experiences I’ve witnessed others have and some are completely unique to me. 

Prior to a round, I like to distance myself from people as much as I can. As a natural thinker, I want to go on the range with a clear head, and so avoiding conversations for a period helps me to do that.

So, what’s coming up for you next then Will? 

I’m competing at the Emir Cup at Umbriaverde Shooting Ground in Italy very shortly! Then the first two weeks in July are busy, with the British Shooting Shotgun Series round at Fauxdegla, which finishes on the Sunday, and I fly to the ISSF Junior World Cup in Porpetto Italy, on the Monday.

Competitions then quieten down for the Olympics, but I’m looking forward to being a spectator and watching some of our GBR Olympic Trap athletes competing in Paris.