As readers of this blog will know, Helpful Holidays sponsors
Georgina (Gorgs) Geikie, British number one ladies pistol shooter. We have
sponsored Gorgs for the past three years, and are continuing to help in her bid
for Olympic gold – we caught up with her to hear about her final preparations…
HH: What are you
doing between now and the Olympics?
GG: I’ll be heading off for two training camps, at Bisley in
Surrey and Charmouth Tunnel in Dorset, where my coach and I will fine tune my
mental and technical training.
HH: What sort of
things will you be doing at the camps?
GG: We’ll be focusing on my awareness and visualisation,
creating a flow of routine. At the elite level, shooting is 95% psychological and
5% technique, so this is really important. We had a test event at the Olympic
venue in April, so I’ll know what to expect. Nobody in my event has a maximum
score – if it was easy, everyone would do it. You can perform brilliantly in
training but it all comes down to what you do on the big day, so my mental strength
is critical.
HH: How many will be
with you in the GB shooting team?
GG: There are 11 in total, shooting a mixture of rifle and
shotgun. I’m the only pistol shooter – I was the only one to meet the Olympic
qualifying standard.
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| Gorgs ran the Okehampton leg of the Torch Relay |
HH: Will your friends
and family be supporting you at the Olympics?
GG: Yes, as well as my coach, my parents, my boyfriend,
supporters from Helpful Holidays, they’ll all be there. It will actually be the
first time I’ve competed on home territory with supporters present.
HH: Is that something
to consider? You can’t let them put you off?
GG: That’s right, and it’s been a big part of my
visualisation and awareness training. The support has been amazing though and
spurs me on. I had a card from my Uncle, which has been areal inspiration – on
the front it said: “If you shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land
amongst the stars”.
HH: When should
everyone tune in to cheer you on?
GG: Well, I’ll be at the opening ceremony on 27th
July, and then my first event, the 10m Pistol, is on the 29th July.
My second event, the 25m Sport Pistol, is on the 1st August; this is
my priority event, I won my quota place for this one.
HH: So how do you
think you’ll do?
GG: Well, I’m aiming for Gold, but I’m keeping my feet
firmly on the ground. I just want to make sure I do myself and everyone else
justice. If I can achieve a personal best, that would hopefully get me amongst
the medals.
HH: Finally, what
message do you have for everyone cheering you on?
GG: It’s an absolute privilege to compete in front of my
home nation, in front of friends and family. And the support I’ve received from
Helpful Holidays is priceless – this has ensured I can train to the highest
standard and give myself a real chance.
We’d all like to wish Gorgs the very best of luck. You can
follow her progress on her website, on Facebook and
on Twitter.
If you fancy watching Gorgs whilst relaxing on holiday,
browse our Dorset
and East
Devon cottages with availability during the Olympics.
