OTTAWA – The Army Cadet National Rifle Team, currently competing at an annual international competition in Bisley, United Kingdom, has won the Imperial Junior Long Range Team match with a score of 1144.
Team Captain Cadet Caleigh McKenzie said, “We have worked really well as a team so far. I think we stand to win even more of this competition if we maintain this level of team work and continue demonstrating such skill.”
In addition to excelling in marksmanship, cadets selected for the National Rifle Team must also demonstrate other qualities, such as teamwork and leadership, central to the Cadet program. Eighteen of the 21-member team are first-time contenders.
“Shooting well alone will not get you to Bisley,” says Major Karina Smith, Assistant National Army Cadet Coordinator for Director Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers. “You also have to have excellent leadership and sportsmanship qualities.”
The Cadet Marksmanship Program is a recreational activity that has produced Olympians like Pat Vamplew. The cadets learn valuable skills through the program that help develop self-discipline, increased confidence, and a sense of accomplishment.
The National Rifle Team will return to Ottawa on August 4, 2010, where they will compete in two additional competitions. The first competition will be the National Cadet Full Bore Championship, followed by a shooting competition held by The Dominion of Canada Rifle Association.
The Cadet Program teaches youth how to be fair and responsible leaders. Cadets learn personal responsibility and how to motivate their peers to follow their example. Being a member of the National Rifle Team is just one of many leadership opportunities provided to youth through the Cadet Program.
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For more information:
Captain Kimberley Banaszkiewicz, Chief Reserves and Cadets
Public Affairs Officer
Tel: (613) 992-6865, Cell: (613) 316-6545
