WELL DONE SAM
See below articles.
http://www.zululandobserver.co.za/Pages/f33sport4.html
SAM IS BANG ON TARGET
Dave Savides
While athletes in numerous sporting codes were battling for supremacy at the London Olympics, in another part of that great city a Richards Bay lass was successfully seeking her own competition glory. Samantha Dippenaar, who turned 17 today (Wednesday) was part of a 22-member South African shooting team taking part in the prestigious British Junior International Championships. And not only did she return with one gold and two silver medals, Sam also proved to be the best female, and third placed overall, among all the 10 competing nations. Shooting in the Sport Rifle division over 10 metres indoors at the Under 21 event, Sam also helped Team SA to gold in the finals.
‘While it was intense and highly competitive, it was also great fun and we made lots of friends,’ said the bubbly Pionier High Grade 11 pupil. ‘Although we were fierce rivals in going for the target, the shared passion for our sport is the unifying factor.’ The only downside to Sam’s first ever overseas competition was discovering on her return that her precious sports air rifle was broken in two inside its heavy metal case, possibly as a result of heavy handling at an airport. I am off to the Natal trials this weekend hoping to make the National trials in October to qualify for a place in the SA team going to the USA next year.
‘Hopefully a replacement rifle can be secured quickly and I have enough time to set it up properly.’ While her Matric finals and a potential career in architecture are looming, Sam also has her keen eye on future Olympic Games medals. This trip was certainly a shot in the arm for those aspirations.
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ZULULAND's ACE SHARPSHOOTER
STORY: Candice Botes
Richards Bay’s Samantha Dippenaar takes aim
Its another Protea cap for Zululand. Samantha Dippenaar has her eye set on the bull’s eye as she prepares for a tour to Surrey, England, at the end of July as part of the South African Three-Position (3P) Air Rifle Shooting squad. She will be competing in the Sporter category. Samantha was selected at trials in Bloemfontein, where she set a new Natal Schools record and beat her personal best when she set a score of 550 out of a possible 600. Samantha is a 16 year-old boarding student at Hoërskool Pionier in Vryheid. What makes her achievement so impressive is the fact that she has only been practicing this discipline for four years. Discipline being the key word. She practices for four hours a day, five days a week, putting in time on the rifle range before and after classes. When asked how this affected her academics she said, ‘The training for 3P has helped me in school work. My concentration span has increased and I am currently third in my grade. ‘3P is 80% mental preparation and 20% actual practice, and because of this I have learnt patience and discipline, and have developed the ability to focus. ‘I would just like to thank my mother, Charmaine, and my father FC for their support and dedication to me, also my coach Louis Lötter for all the hours he has spent training me.’
