Lawn Manor Academy pupil brings home gold in shooting competition

By Barrie Hudson - 16 June 2025

Clubs & ActivitiesSportEducation

A young crack shot who attends Swindon's Lawn Manor Academy has added a new accolade to his collection.

Following on from fellow pupil Bubacarr’s footballing success in being signed by Chippenham Town, 13-year-old Finley has also brought home the gold medal for his group in the Hampshire Open Shooting competition, also achieving a new personal best of 540 points.

 

Finley, who has been shooting since the age of 10, trains weekly with the Brown Jack Air Rifle Club, based at Swindon Supermarine Rugby Club.   

Over the past three years, he has developed his skills and travelled across the country to compete, sometimes alongside professionals, bringing a number of medals back to Swindon. His latest victory marks a significant step up from his previous personal best of 520 points.

“I really enjoy shooting; it’s fun but also challenging,” Finley said. “As the distance gets further, it becomes more difficult, and you have to stay really still with no fidgeting. 

"I also like learning how everything works, like adjusting the sights so you can see the targets better.”

Russell Langdown, Head of School at Lawn Manor Academy, said: "Finley’s dedication to his sport and how he has really excelled in a relatively short space of time is something he should be very proud of.  

"At Lawn Manor Academy, we believe that physical education and sport play a crucial role in building confidence, focus, and resilience; all of which Finley has clearly demonstrated through his achievements.

“We’re passionate about supporting our pupils’ interests as well as offering them the opportunity to explore different sports and the opportunities that come with them.  

"As part of this we invested in a state-of-the-art gym, open to pupils and staff inside and outside of school hours, as well as taking our pupils on introductory golfing lessons.  

"However, we’re also committed to supporting grassroots opportunities too and helping our pupils explore these when even the basics, such as football boots and footballs, might be out of reach for some of our families.”

Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust.  For more information about the school, visit www.lawnmanor.org.

 

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