Thomas Ashmore spends money almost as fast as he shoots bullets as he targets his dream of competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games next year.
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That's why he spent the first chunk of his University of Canberra scholarship on 10,000 rounds of ammunition to help him prepare to compete around the world.
Ashmore, the Australian rapid fire champion, goes through 100,000 bullets per year competing around the world. But the scholarship money will also ease some of the pressure on his travel costs and study work.
"Each year it costs roughly $8,000 just in ammunition, I shoot about 250 rounds per training session."
Ashmore, studying a bachelor of business administration, isn't the only Olympic hopeful to get the University of Canberra boost. He was one of 10 students to be awarded the Eldon and Anne Foote sporting scholarship on Wednesday.
The scholarship program included Rachel Crothers (rugby union), Diandra Martin (muay thai), Storm Sanders (tennis), James Nipperess (athletics), Josh Katz (judo), Harry Glackin (rowing), Penny Slater (triathlon), Thomas Robertson (rugby league) and Mitchell Maguire (Australian football).
The scholarship is awarded to students identified as national elite athletes to help balance the cost of training and competitions while studying at the university.
Ashmore missed out on Commonwealth Games selection last year, but is targeting an Olympic spot for 2020.
"The first competition is in two weeks in Brisbane. I've already shot the minimum qualifying score making me eligible for Tokyo, which is really handy," Ashmore said.
Slater, a cross triathlon world champion, will use part of her scholarship to escape the Canberra winter for a training camp in Thailand before the European championships.
As cross triathlon is not an Olympic sport, Slater receives little to no funding. Along with studying a bachelor of education, Slater balances working two jobs to help her financially.
"I work at Queanbeyan High as a teachers aide and I work at Bungendore Country Butchery as a retail assistant," Slater said.
"It's all self funded or I have to seek sponsorship myself. So at the moment working two jobs is something I have to do.
"But obviously this scholarship its a massive relief because it means that I can actually go away and go to a training camp.
"I'll go and do a training camp for five weeks and then I'll head to Europe and have two weeks there before the European championships, so I'm hoping that will be enough to get me on at least an even playing field with the European girls."