A STAR Wee County shooting athlete is appealing for public help with this year's world championships in her sights.

Seonaid McIntosh, who became Britain's most successful female rifle shooter of all time in 2019, has this week started a fundraiser to help her travel to Baku.

From August 14, the Azerbaijani capital will play host to the 2023 ISSF World Shooting Championships where Seonaid, who grew up in Dollar and attended the academy there, is hoping to compete.

She will be taking part in a number of events, some Olympic and some not, with the latter working on a self-funded basis.

In an online fundraiser, Seonaid said she finds herself “in a difficult position” where she is unable to support her sport on her own.

“I have been trying to find support through external sponsors but unfortunately to no avail,” she wrote in her appeal.

“This year already, I have competed at European Cup and won a bronze and a silver medal.

“I am travelling to Denmark soon for another European Cup and hope to gain more medals and experience there.

“In Britain there is a distinct lack of training opportunity to train with this bigger calibre and so these European cups are my only opportunity to practise before competing at the World Championships.”

The upcoming event will bring together the best athletes from around the globe and McIntosh seems to be on form this year with two World Cup golds achieved in 10m air rifle and 50m rifle three positions.

She also shares a world record in the 300m rifle prone and is “very much looking forward to the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage”.

Seonaid, the youngest in a shooting dynasty which includes international star parents Shirley and Donald along with two-time Olympian big sister Jennifer, has already established herself as a shooter of global calibre when she tipped the 50m rifle three position ranks at the 2017 European Championships.

She won three World Cup medals in 2019 and debuted on the Olympic stage at Tokyo 2020 where she finished 12th and 14th in the women's 10m air rifle and 50m rifle three positions events respectively.

Seonaid was back in Team GB kit at the 2023 European Games in Poland where she earned bronze in the 50m rifle three positions.

She has already secured a sport for Paris 2024.

The 27-year-old, who honed her skills with Alloa and District Rifle Club, is looking to secure around £5,000 for the upcoming event.

Visit tinyurl.com/2bx8uauw to support her fundraiser.