Olympic shooter and former SCS student Joshua Bell has made a confident debut in Paris, describing the experience as “memorable” after the competition closed last Sunday.
The 30-year-old SCS alumni is among the long list of Aussies who impressed the nation and the world across 10 days of competition in shooting events.
Joshua placed 25th in the men’s skeet event at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre before an 11th place finish alongside Aislin Jones in the skeet mixed teams’ event to close out his campaign.
“To be amongst it is absolutely unreal and I couldn’t ask for a better debut,” Joshua told reporters for the Australian Olympic site.
Joshua, who attended Good Shepherd Primary School in Hoxton Park, said the experience has helped him grow as an athlete and person.
“I am sure I am ten times the competitor walking away from this, than when I came into competition.
“I can’t be disappointed. I have held my head high and did my best. Unfortunately, at the Olympics, you need to make sure you always have your best day.”
Joshua grew up in Camden and shared a love of the sport with his father, who was along for the ride in Paris to watch his son achieve his sporting dreams.
Carina Froio, a classmate of Joshua’s at Good Shepherd, said Joshua’s energetic spirit is a characteristic that has followed him from the playground to the world stage.
“Josh was always a fun and energetic classmate, competing isn’t new to Josh,” Carina said.
His old teacher Michelle Coe remembers Joshua as “always full of energy.”
One of Joshua’s earliest wins came in the B grade at the 2011 NSW Skeet Carnival where he caught the attention of professionals.
From there, Joshua continued to hone his skills while working full-time as a plumber, before making his world debut last year at the 2023 Oceania Championship.
There Joshua won silver in the Men’s Skeet, as part of the men’s team alongside Frank Morris and Elie Lahoud.
In May this year, Joshua took home bronze with his Olympic mixed team partner Aislin Jones in the Mixed Skeet event at the World Cup in Azerbaijan.