Hazel Mackintosh, BSc (died 5 August 2022, aged 79)
Obituary can be viewed online at:
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/hazel-reid-mackintosh-mbe-commonwealth-games-bronze-medal-winner-leaves-lasting-legacy-after-death-aged-79-41916596.html
Target rifle shooter Hazel Reid Mackintosh MBE, who won a bronze medal for Northern Ireland at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, has passed away aged 79.
Ms Mackintosh, who was originally from Kilkeel, Co Down, and was a former chemistry teacher at Belfast Royal Academy (BRA), died on 5 August.
Along with David Calvert, the pair won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in the full bore Queen’s prize pairs shooting category.
In doing so, Ms Mackintosh became the first woman ever to shoot in the full bore competitions.
It was during her time at Queen’s University Belfast studying chemistry that she discovered her love for target shooting after joining the officer training corps.
Ms Mackintosh’s exceptional marksmanship also saw her represent Ireland in the short-range national team on 25 occasions and in the long-range Great Britain rifle team 15 times.
In 2000, she was delighted to be appointed captain of the Ireland Millennium Match team, which achieved third place.
The retired teacher was also a past chairman of the Ulster Rifle Association and a vice president of the National Rifle Association.
In addition to helping out with girls’ hockey and basketball in the early days of her BRA teaching career, Ms Mackintosh’s main interest lay within the school’s air training corps.
Her expertise as a coach within the school’s corps and outside clubs was renowned both locally and further afield, resulting in BRA placing as one of the top four ATC Shooting Squadrons in the UK.
After retiring from the TA in 1985, she moved straight into the Army Cadet Force, where she set about transforming the shooting in 2nd (NI) Battalion, and in 2002 Ms Mackintosh was deservedly awarded the MBE for services to the army cadets and shooting.
Following her retirement from teaching in 1997, she continued to serve BRA as a chemistry technician — a role she continued in until 2006.
Ms Mackintosh contributed to bringing so many young people into the sport of shooting.
An obituary for Ms Mackintosh said: “Anyone who had the privilege to meet her will never forget her energy, enthusiasm and selfless attitude in everything she did in her various roles as teacher, sports coach, rifle coach, careers counsellor, chemistry technician and army cadets officer.
“She understood the importance of her role in both broadening and sharpening the minds of the young people in her care.
“She provided them with opportunities and equipped them with life skills and knowledge to help them make the best of their future lives.”
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