WORLD Firefighter Games archer Ian Finlay has hit the bullseye after securing sponsorship from two companies to fund most of his kit.
Finlay, of Little Sutton, put out an appeal for help to fund a new bow and arrows as he represents Britain in the games, which will be held in Liverpool next month.
Flintshire-based GP Fire and Security answered the 40-year-old’s call and have stumped up the cash for the new equipment.
“Over the next few weeks I will be going to Harrogate and Mansfield to pick out the equipment and be fitted for it,” said Finlay, works as a fire safety inspector for North Wales Fire Service in Deeside and Wrexham. “It should improve my scores a lot. The equipment I have currently is perfectly fine, but newer strings and bow arms will be more precise.”
Finlay, who trains blindfolded in his back garden, has also been sponsored by Rose Rimmer Ltd Gas of Chester.
With the games fast approaching, he is taking every opportunity to get in practice.
“I am training in every spare minute,” he said. “And when I get the new bow, I will need to find a bit more time to practice as, while it will be adjusted in the store, I will need to fire it a lot and do any fine tuning at home.
“It is such a complex piece of kit, you really have to bed it in and feel right with it.”
The World Firefighter Games run from August 24 to September 2. Some events will take place in the ECHO Arena, with the archery competition taking place on August 28 and 29 at Merchant Taylor School playing fields in Crosby.
