Tori Rossiter, 16, will be the youngest member of Australia’s shooting team at next month’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

TORI Rossiter is in high school, learning to drive and loves going to the movies with friends. She is also heading to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next month with an air rifle – as the youngest member of Australia’s shooting team.

Tori Rossiter is just 16 but she's heading to the Commonwealth Games next month as part of the shooting team. Picture: AAP/Morgan Sette.

TORI Rossiter is in high school, learning to drive and loves going to the movies with friends.

She is also heading to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next month with an air rifle – as the youngest member of Australia’s shooting team.

Tori, 16, is one of six South Australians in the 28-strong national squad and is 32 years younger than teammate Bruce Quick.

The Woodcroft College Year 11 student will compete in the women’s 10m air rifle, an event in which she is the national record holder.

“It means a lot,” Tori told the Southern Times Messenger last month.

“I’ve worked hard for it over the last couple of years.

“I’m not nervous at the moment ... I’m just feeling excited and ready to go.”

Tori, a former ballet dancer and netballer, followed her older brother, Jack, into shooting.

She would tag along to watch him train at the Reynella Smallbore and Air Rifle Club then take aim herself at targets.

Jack’s rise to make the Australian squads for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and 2016 Rio Olympics only fuelled her motivation.

“Being the big brother, you always want to be in the cool group with him and do what he does,” Tori said.

“After he got onto the Commonwealth Games team (in 2014), I was just training, training, training.”

Jack, now 20, will not be alongside Tori on the Gold Coast after missing out on national selection.

Tori says it “sucks” – but Jack has been her biggest supporter since being overlooked.

“The two guys going in the air rifle are shooting better than him at the moment and he knows that,” she said.

“We’re rivals but we’re best friends in real life too.”

Tori has been travelling to international shooting events without her parents, Wendy and Mike, for the past few years, competing in such countries as Czech Republic, Austria and Germany.

Tori will train at Reynella three or four times each week before the Games but the sport is about more than accuracy.

Building her fitness base via sessions at the SA Sports Institute gym and with a personal trainer have also become part of her weekly regimen.

Jack continues to train with her as the siblings shoot to team up for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

“It’d be so good – that’s the goal for both of us,” Tori said.

“We’re aiming for 2020 and to both go there and smash it.”

Originally published as Tori Rossiter, 16, will be the youngest member of Australia’s shooting team at next month’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games