Shannon Westlake

Biography

Shannon Westlake won bronze in the women’s 50m rifle three positions event at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, which secured an Olympic quota spot for Canada in the event for Paris 2024. She then claimed that spot at the team selection trials in late May 2024, setting herself up to make her Olympic debut. That followed her bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle three positions at the 2024 Continental Championships of the Americas in early April.

Westlake had competed in her first major multi-sport Games at TORONTO 2015, where she finished in 18^th in the 50m rifle three positions event. She also competed at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games where she broke into the top-10 in the event.

Westlake made her ISSF World Cup debut at the 2013 stop in Fort Benning where she finished 42^nd in the 10m air rifle and 45^th in the 50m rifle three positions. In 2014 she competed at her first Continental Championships of the Americas, cracking the top-10 in the 50m rifle three positions. In 2018, Westlake finished a then-career-best ninth in the in the 50m rifle three positions at the Continental Championships of the Americas, missing the finals by just six points. She earned her career best World Cup result in 2018, placing 39^th in Fort Benning in the 50m rifle three positions.

Westlake would like observers to understand the many challenges faced by sport shooters. These include the hours spent on the range developing proper marksmanship techniques (trigger control, breathing, sight picture, wind reading) as well as the effort needed to maintain excellent balance, core strength, and cardiovascular endurance required to hit a small target no matter the conditions.  

A Little More About Shannon

Getting into the Sport: Started shooting at age 12 with the Royal Canadian Army Cadets in Aurora, Ontario; the program gave her the opportunity to fall in love with an Olympic sport that she did not know existed; the sport did not come naturally to her but she worked hard and invested a lot of time to keep improving… Outside Interests: Earned Bachelor of Health Studies from York University (2010) and Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University (2013) and Masters of Education from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology… Enjoys going to the gym every day because it gives her time to focus on herself and makes her feel strong and empowered… Enjoys taking her son cross country skiing and encouraging him to try different sports… Works with the Canadian Cadet Organizations as a Cadet Instructors Cadre… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: Chop wood, carry water…