Australia

Elise’s cricket dream was ended by a freak accident. Now she’s shooting for gold in Tokyo


Elise Collier loved and lived for her cricket.

A talented junior cricketer, she was the only female in her team and the competition, and it was her final wicket in the under 12 grand final that led that team to glory.

“I used to play with the boys at the time, I was playing in five or six teams and was very dedicated to my cricket,” she said.

Elise appeared destined for a future in the sport, but that all changed in December of 2011 with one freak accident during a fielding drill, when a cricket ball struck Elise in the back of her head.

As a junior, Elise Collier was a cricket obsessive.(

Supplied: Elise Collier

)

She was taken to hospital but was released shortly after. Days later, Elise collapsed and returned to hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured skull.

“It caused a lot of issues, just everyday things you take for granted all of a sudden were taken away from me,” she said.

A near-catastrophic blow

Elise temporarily lost sight in her right eye and hearing in her right ear, and she developed an uncontrollable trembling of her right arm.

She even struggled to hold a pen.

“I had trouble holding conversations because I had a headache ever since I got hit, and everything was really difficult for me,” Elise said.

A young girl lies in a hospital bed. She has her right eye shut
Elise briefly lost sight in her right eye and hearing in her right ear after the accident.(

Supplied

)

Fortunately, most of those symptoms eased, but the 22-year-old still struggles with ongoing headaches.

“As a kid I was very lucky I never needed to study, but then I couldn’t focus on anything, my grades were dropping.”

Elise visited various neurologists and doctors, but nothing helped with the constant headaches.

Her father then came up with an idea.

“One day dad just said instead of trying to fix the headaches, let’s try to find ways to handle them.”

He suggested she take up shooting at his local range.

It didn’t stop the headaches, but the focus and level of concentration required in shooting helped distract her from them.

From rehabilitation to Olympic debut

Shooting not only became Elise’s salvation, it also paved the way for an incredible new opportunity she had never imagined.

Her talent landed her a spot in the Australian shooting team for Tokyo, where she will make her Olympic debut.

“It’s definitely an odd story having done it purely as a rehabilitation thing. It was never anything I had intentions of getting good at,” Elise said.

“It’s really progressed in a way that I never thought would happen.”

Holding the ball in her right hand and wearing a Victoria kit, Elise Collier yells and points towards the umpire.
Elise was a skilled cricketer before her accident.(

Supplied: Elise Collier

)

Elise believes shooting as a sport is very misunderstood.

“It’s one of those sports you can do from the age of 12 when you first get your licence until you’re in your 80s or 90s,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter your age, gender, height or weight — all the other things that would matter for other sports don’t here.”

Only five years ago, Elise was watching the 2016 Rio Olympics from a laptop in her school library while studying for her HSC.

So Elise and her best friend would find excuses to go to the library to watch the games there.

“I definitely think they cottoned on to it,” she said.

In her final Olympic qualifying event last year, Elise bettered the women’s 10m Air Rifle world record.

It wasn’t officially recognised because it didn’t occur at an International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) event or an Olympic Games, but it remains an Australian record and further fuelled her passion for shooting.

“I love the challenge of aiming for absolute perfection and everyone knows perfection is not attainable, it’s a myth,” she said.

“But when you shoot the perfect 10.9, you have that goal you can achieve if you put your mind to it.”

On target for Tokyo

Alex Hoberg is another young shooter on the mark.

The Adelaide teenager equalled the world record in the final of the men’s 10m Air Rifle in the final pre-Tokyo event in Adelaide last weekend.

Like Elise, it wasn’t deemed official under ISSF rules, but it was recognised as a new national record.

“It’s a huge confidence boost and an excellent indicator my Games preparation is going to plan,” he said.

Alex Hoburg holds an air rifle while wearing his competitive garb
Alex Hoburg believes he is reaching peak form in time for the Games.(

Supploed: Shooting Australia

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Alex will also be competing in his first Olympics.

The 19-year-old will be the youngest member of the Australian Olympic shooting team heading to Tokyo.

“To be honest I think I’ve come out of this better than if the Olympics had gone ahead last year,” Alex said.

Alex cites “serendipitous luck” as the reason for getting into the sport and says he has his dad to thank.

It all started when he attended a paintball party in Year 5.

“I thought, ‘this is awesome, let’s do paintball’.

“Dad’s immediate response was ‘no, we’re not getting into that’.”

His father instead got Alex a bow and arrow and they began doing archery.

At the age of 12, Alex went to a shooting range with his father.

“I tried the air rifle and I loved it.”

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He won gold in the men’s 10m air rifle final at the 2017 Commonwealth Shooting Championships in Brisbane.

Alex also competed at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Rio and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where he just missed out on bronze.

“Coming fourth at the Comm Games was a shot in the heart.

“It took me a reset, but I learnt a lot.”

He went on to win three gold medals at the 2019 Oceania Shooting Championships in Sydney.

With a national record and unofficial world mark now under his belt, Alex believes he’s “peaked” at the perfect time.

“It’s the best thing that could have happened before the Games.

“I know what to do for Tokyo and hopefully can bring home a medal for Australia.”



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