P.E.I cadet wins gold in international shooting competition

A 16-year-old army cadet from Summerside, P.E.I. brought home a gold medal and a couple of second-place finishes from an international shooting competition in England recently.           

Sixteen-year-old Carter Moase is a master warrant officer with the 1231 Kensington Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps., which is now based in Summerside.           

He was one of 18 cadets selected to travel to England as part of the army's National Rifle Team.

Moase competed for Team Canada against the British cadet team plus 700 other competitors who ranged in age from 13 to 81 from around the world.

Moase was surprised to win the medals because they are usually restricted to cadets from the United Kingdom.

Psychologically, physically tiring        

He says competing in rifle shooting is more strenuous than people think.

"The competition is tiring psychologically, as you're always thinking about shooting your perfect shots and you're always going through your mental motions and you have to focus on not making any mistakes," he said.

"But it's also physically tiring, as you're lying down and holding a rifle — a 20-pound rifle — for about an hour at a time, all day long.

He says he learned a lot from other competitors.

"When you're on the range, you get to talk to the other shooters and learn shooting skills and techniques that you've never heard of before."

Major Tracy Enman, Moase's commanding officer, says the cadets are dedicated to the marksmanship.

"And for us, it gives you a sense of pride in what we do here and everything he has accomplished."

Moase says he'd like to continue in civilian shooting once he graduates from cadets. He is also considering a career in the forces.