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Nathan Milgate is preparing for the biggest moment in his international shooting career when he represents Great Britain at the Paralympic Games in Beijing which begin on Saturday.
The 21-year-old marksman from Studd Hill in Herne Bay arrived in China last weekend, after a week at the GB training camp in Macau, and competes in the Air Rifle Standing event on Monday and the Prone four days later.
For Milgate, the youngest in a team of four British shooters, it’s the culmination of weeks and months of preparation, that has already seen him win National and British championships to earn himself a ranking as one of the world’s best.
He said: "It’s my first Paralympics, and it is exciting to be there. Training has gone well, we had a good week at Stoke Manderville before leaving for Macau and it has all been positive.
He added: "I just hope I can perform as well as I can because previous results have gone well. The Chinese competitors in my events are an unknown quantity and there is a Swedish shooter who has won medals at the last three Games."
Milgate flew out from Heathrow 24 hours before the British Olympic heroes returned from Beijing last week and enjoyed watching the success they achieved.
He added: "It was a great boost to see them all do so well and I am looking forward to seeing venues like the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube." However he is unsure whether he will be attending the opening ceremony,with his first event taking place only two days later in the Beijing Shooting Hall.