My Biathlon Journey - Danny Hamilton

Hi, my name is Daniel Hamilton (17) and I have recently been selected for the British Biathlon Development Squad following a successful year with the British Biathlon Talent Identification team in 2022/23. I have visited some amazing places and this has proven to be only the start of my journey.

Biathlon, in the male category, is a combination of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting over distances of 10km, 15km and 20km which requires excellent levels of endurance as well as speed to maintain the position you are in and possibly go for the win. As well as skiing, biathlon requires you to shoot four times with a rifle in both the prone (lying) position and standing position. This requires high levels of concentration and precision whilst combating such an elevated breathing rate from skiing. I have grown up watching biathlon on TV and this is why I love participating in such a tough, but amazing sport.

However, in the UK it's a small sport and doesn't receive the adequate funding needed to support its athletes, especially as funding was cut for most snowsports in the UK in 2022. This means that all of my training camps and travel to them are self-funded which creates a significant cost for me and my family.

I am aiming to compete in the International Biathlon Union (IBU) Junior Cup as well as the World Biathlon Championships in the future which will give me a platform to continue growing and developing my skills. However, for me to compete and train I will need to purchase: a specialist Biathlon rifle; racing and training skis alongside boots and poles; race and training clothing for winter conditions; continue to fund my flights and camp costs for my forthcoming trips to Italy, Germany, Norway and Austria this year.

I would be immensely grateful for any support given which would help me achieve my goal of competing internationally at the IBU Junior Cup and World Biathlon Championships!