The Steel Behind the Shot: Josh Bell’s Road to Paris

For many young talents, the journey to success is often paved with challenges, and requires input and support from the local community. Orrcon Steel is pleased that a sponsorship we provided to Josh Bell has enabled him to fulfill his dream to be an Olympian.  Josh’s day job is in construction, but outside this work time he is an accomplished and dedicated athlete, which has led to him now represent Australia in Clay Target Shooting team at the Olympic Games in Paris this year.

From Local Talent to Olympic Hopeful.

Josh's journey in Clay Target Shooting began at the age of 12 when he could legally hold a shooter's license. His ambition to represent Australia on the international stage and stand in the World Championship Team by 2025 has driven him to pursue excellence in the sport, hoping to compete in multiple international sporting events.

Clay shooting has progressed from being a hobby with his dad, to lay the foundation of his life leading to numerous networking opportunities, team travel and prophetic meeting of Zuzana, whom he has now married. Despite setbacks, including narrowly missing selection for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Josh remained determined and committed to his sport.

To be able to finance the dream, Josh reached out to his connection with Orrcon Steel in New South Wales. His dedication, resilience and willingness to sacrifice so much to complete his dream captured our attention. We are proud to say we have supported Josh in a small way to his journey to represent Australia on the Olympic stage.

In 2023, he secured his place for the Paris 2024 Olympics, highlighted by winning a World Cup medal in the mixed team event. Josh's journey reflects his resilience and dedication, fuelled by the desire to set a positive example for his daughters, Isla and Millie.

"There have been several challenges," Josh reflects, "I can't say I would change any of them because they have made me who I am and probably given me the drive to continue. They all vary from juggling a growing family and splitting my time between them and training requirements as well as competition trips. All this while we ensuring we had enough income to keep the lights stay on at home while I am away. There are those self-doubt scenarios along the way, questioning my choices and wondering if you are good enough on the back of the many failures and coming so close so many times! These are all the highs and lows that come with a high-performance sport, and they are also the reason that everything feels so much better when you do get success."

Sponsorship Impact

At Orrcon Steel, we are pleased to know that our support has played a small role in Josh's success. Our sponsorship has covered part of the costs related to training facilities, equipment, coaching, and travel expenses. This has allowed Josh to focus on his training and competitions and maintain his high standards to compete at elite levels.

"Orrcon has helped significantly," Josh notes, "it keeps things ticking along at home whilst I'm traveling overseas. We are not paid athletes, so while we are committed, we can't do everything. With this level of schedule, I've exhausted all leave entitlements through my working scenario, so all of your financial contributions have put my mind at ease knowing I can go away and do my role well and deliver."

It is part of our links with the community that Orrcon Steel remains committed to support a variety of community activities including young athletes like Josh.

Every person who has made an Olympics has had more failures than wins.

Josh's journey offers valuable insights for aspiring athletes.

When asked what message and advice he could offer to other young athletes, it was clear: "Hang in there, every person who has made an Olympics has had more failures than wins, I guarantee that. They are the difference makers, and once you learn to overcome them, anything is possible."

His message of determination and dedication resonates deeply with Orrcon Steel’s vision, emphasising that success is often built on the back of overcoming setbacks and challenges.

We are humble to be part of Josh’s journey to Paris and delighted that our support has helped Josh achieve the first part of his dream to be an Olympian and can continue his path towards the ultimate fulfilment of securing an Olympic medal.

As Josh continues to represent Australia on the global stage, he will keep us updated via social media, so stay tuned on Orrcon Steel Facebook and Instagram to wish Josh a continuous success.