A SHORT FEATURE ON MR. CHARLIE STYLIANOU
Every member of the EGG club knows Charlie and even people new to the club will come to know him very quickly. He is one of the EGG clubs’ great characters and is at the club most of the time and always keen to get shooting. His friendly face is always present.
Charlie was born on 1st May 1940, and yes before you all start to try and work it out he is 72 years old on his next birthday. He is married with four children, two boys and twins, one girl and one boy.
He started out as a game shooter and only started shooting clay targets in 1992 at the age of 52 after a terrible accident whilst working which left him wheelchair bound. He heard that there was going to be a sporting shooting competition in the UK for disabled persons and he decided he would enter. With his incredible resilience and obvious shooting skills he did well and to date he has entered 13 European and World Championships and won -
2 x 1st place World Championship medals
1 x 2nd place World Championship medal
8 x different 1st,2nd and 3rd place European Championship medals
Charlie was born on 1st May 1940, and yes before you all start to try and work it out he is 72 years old on his next birthday. He is married with four children, two boys and twins, one girl and one boy.
He started out as a game shooter and only started shooting clay targets in 1992 at the age of 52 after a terrible accident whilst working which left him wheelchair bound. He heard that there was going to be a sporting shooting competition in the UK for disabled persons and he decided he would enter. With his incredible resilience and obvious shooting skills he did well and to date he has entered 13 European and World Championships and won -
2 x 1st place World Championship medals
1 x 2nd place World Championship medal
8 x different 1st,2nd and 3rd place European Championship medals
Charlie’s mentor was the owner of Victory Cartridges Mr Lakis Psimolofitis. His shooting hero and also family friend is George Digweed whose style Charlie had adopted (Move, Mount, Shoot). Charlie now shoots a Browning XSH and has always used different types of Browning shotguns throughout his shooting history.
Charlie and the EGG Club
Charlie joined the EGG club in September 2002 and remembers that the club was very different to current times, with only Skeet, Trap and Sportline. He agrees that the club is much better now and says he has made some good friends and appreciates the safe environment and the professionalism of all the members.
He says his sport of shooting has allowed him to make friends all over the world and enabled him to spend his time enjoying the sport and providing a way of relaxation and says that the only disadvantage he has from being in a wheelchair is that he cannot turn from the hips, other than this he sees and experiences no disadvantages. The strength to come through this episode in his life came from the strong support of his family and friends and I suspect a fierce determination and focus which we all see in his shooting. He has taught two of his sons to shoot and is currently in the process of teaching his two grandsons.
I asked Charlie if he could give us the benefit of his experience and tell us his 5 top tips to improve our shooting and he replied-
- have the correct gun
- stand in the correct position/stance
- use correct cartridges
- decide where you want to break the clay
- move, mount and shoot
I have had the pleasure of knowing Charlie for two years now and have received the benefit of his experience many times whilst shooting as he is always keen to help and advise all shooters. He obviously greatly enjoys his sport and is always smiling, happy and uncomplaining, just enjoying the shooting and the company. He is one of the club’s top shooters and has a consistent and very effective shooting style. This year he won the award of Top Scratch Shooter.
The Egg Club is privileged and very happy to have him as a member and long may it continue.
Yiamas Charlie and keep showing us the way.
Written by Gill Allen
He says his sport of shooting has allowed him to make friends all over the world and enabled him to spend his time enjoying the sport and providing a way of relaxation and says that the only disadvantage he has from being in a wheelchair is that he cannot turn from the hips, other than this he sees and experiences no disadvantages. The strength to come through this episode in his life came from the strong support of his family and friends and I suspect a fierce determination and focus which we all see in his shooting. He has taught two of his sons to shoot and is currently in the process of teaching his two grandsons.
I asked Charlie if he could give us the benefit of his experience and tell us his 5 top tips to improve our shooting and he replied-
- have the correct gun
- stand in the correct position/stance
- use correct cartridges
- decide where you want to break the clay
- move, mount and shoot
I have had the pleasure of knowing Charlie for two years now and have received the benefit of his experience many times whilst shooting as he is always keen to help and advise all shooters. He obviously greatly enjoys his sport and is always smiling, happy and uncomplaining, just enjoying the shooting and the company. He is one of the club’s top shooters and has a consistent and very effective shooting style. This year he won the award of Top Scratch Shooter.
The Egg Club is privileged and very happy to have him as a member and long may it continue.
Yiamas Charlie and keep showing us the way.
Written by Gill Allen
Photos below of Charlie below at the 2011 Annual Awards Ceremony held at Pissouri winning another much deserved trophy to add to his collection
