Dead-eye Durra on target
STAR shooter Rick Durra recently excelled at the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games, picking up a gold and silver medal more than 20 years after he debuted at his first national event.
STAR shooter Rick Durra recently excelled at the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games, picking up a gold and silver medal more than 20 years after he debuted at his first national event.
The 52-year-old, who retired from the police force in 2004, won gold in the Limited Revolver category and silver overall against the best shooters from emergency services across the country.
“There were some excellent shooters there, but I produced a really good score,” Durra told The AJN.
“It was my personal best score of 864 out of a possible 900, and my scores have improved over time, because even though I’ve been continually winning medals, I’ve been competing in higher grades.
“Right now, I’m probably the top shooter for retired policemen and rank about seventh overall among all ages and grades.”
Durra won gold, silver and bronze when he first competed in the ANZ Police Games in 1993, and has barely missed a national or international competition since.
He has taken out medals at the World Police and Emergency Services Games among other high quality events and said the joy of competing and winning has kept him going back all this time.
“This has been a sport where I enjoy doing something that I’m relatively good at,” Durra said.
“I’d never shot anything before I joined the force and I found that I had a natural ability for shooting.
“I got involved in the Victoria Police Pistol Club and have gone on to compete at all types of events. In fact the shooting at the World Police and Emergency Services Games ranks only second to the Olympic Games – it’s bigger than the Commonwealth Games.”
A back injury forced Durra to retire from active duty in 2004 and has since plagued his performances at each tournament.
With another national competition coming up in July, he’s hoping that it won’t get worse.
“I broke my back in the 1980s and it has affected me ever since,” Durra said.
“It forced my retirement in ’04 and it was sore at the recent Games, so hopefully it doesn’t continue to flare up.”
ASHLEY SHENKER
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