Industry-leading manufacturers of fine shotgun cartridges for game and clay, Eley Hawk, sit down with world champion Olympic Skeet Shooter and ambassador Amber Hill.

Following her world record-equalling performance in New Delhi in the ISSF World Cup and securing her place in the GB Team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Amber discusses everything from how she got into the sport to the effect of COVID-19 on her as an athlete.

Tell us a little bit about how you got into shooting. 

I was introduced to shooting and Olympic Skeet by my grandfather when I was just 10. I learned quickly, and by the age of 12 I had secured a sponsorship from Eley, and a few years after that I became the youngest ever winner of the ISSF World Cup in 2013, aged just 15, also setting a Junior World Record for the sport. 

What do you consider to be your biggest achievement to date? 

Going to the Rio Olympics in 2016 was my and my grandad’s dream, and to represent Team GB was incredible. Sadly, my grandad had already passed away by then, but I am so thankful that he gave me this incredible life. 

What is the most difficult thing to master in Olympic Skeet? 

I would say psychology without question, yet it is not talked about enough. Mental health, preparation and ultimate focus is the key to competing at top level and can be the deciding factor between success and failure. 

How has COVID-19 affected you as an elite athlete?

To be honest, the postponement of the 2020 Olympics was really hard to take. However, I have managed to turn this into a positive, learning more and knowing that I am even better prepared. Also, it sounds terrible, but on reflection, it has also offered me a much-needed break from shooting and allowed me to enjoy some time at home as I have been so involved in travelling to competitions for so many years. I am now refreshed and ready to fully commit to my training for the next two Olympic Games at least.

So how did you prepare for the ISSF World Cup to shoot a world record-equalling score of 249/250, despite being in lockdown?

As an elite athlete, I have been lucky to be allowed to visit a select number of local grounds since October, such as Bisley and E.J. Churchill, and have sessions with my coaches, although one of them lives in Norway and I haven’t been able to see them since last year!

Every week, though, I have spoken with my psychologist, working on improving routines and remaining positive around missing shots and not allowing a miss to get into my head, along with lots of visualisation, breathing tactics, clarifying clays and so on. I am sure this was a key factor in my performance.

What does it mean to you to be supported by Eley Hawk and have your very own Amber cartridge? 

I have been with Eley for such a long time now and if it wasn’t for their continued support from the very start, I don’t know if I would still be taking part today – they certainly feel like family and I feel that I have grown with the brand as well. 

As for the Amber cartridge, I think they’re awesome! They offer fantastic ballistics, are always reliable, and I’ve never had any problems with them (without jinxing it), reducing the things I need to think about on competition day. Plus, they are at an accessible price point so that everyone can use them which I hope encourages more people to take part. And, of course, I love the colour which is so refreshing to the sport!

How delighted are you to have made selection for Team GB for 2021?

So, so happy! To secure a place for the team is just incredible, and to go to Tokyo and win a medal would be another dream come true. 

Eley’s Amber Cartridge main features: 

•  High antimony magnum shot

Extra hard, 5% antimony No. 8 shot ensures powerful clay breaks and superior patterning

• Fast speeds

With muzzle velocities of 1375fps (12 bore) and 1320fps (20 bore), the cartridge is suitable for high-level disciplines

• Specialist powders

With unique Eley Hawk powders, the Amber cartridge offers smooth, low recoil characteristics for ease of handling

Amber cartridges are available now in Eley stockists and from online cartridge retailers.