A year ago, Nathan Hales would never have imagined spending his weekends going shooting with Sir Jackie Stewart.
But that is what an Olympic gold medal will do for you.
The sharp shooter soared to men's trap victory at Paris 2024 last summer, setting a new Olympic record in the process.
Making his Olympic debut in Chateauroux, two hours south of the French capital, the trap shooter hit 48 out of 50 targets to nearly equal his own world record and beat China's Qi Ying to gold.
And although he is still the same athlete he was pre-Olympic fame, Hales admitted that he has enjoyed every opportunity it has brought him, including making acquaintances with a three-time Formula One champion.
"I've gained a little bit more confidence in myself when speaking up," he said.
"And it's opened up some great doors to some great opportunities I wouldn't have got before, like meeting the King and going to the royal box at Wimbledon.
"I met Sir Jackie Stewart, and he invited me to stay at his house and go shooting. That was really, really cool.
"He always says the one thing that pains him is that he never went to an Olympics as a shooter, so we connected a little bit over that.
"We've had nice conversations, and I've had that great opportunity to go and stay at his house and shoot with him, and have dinner and everything like that.
"I've started to be getting involved with auctions for Sir Jackie Stewart Racing Against Dementia Charity, so it has allowed me to give back to the community as well."
Reaping the rewards of his success, it has evidently been a busy year for Hales as he returns to competition with the title of Olympic champion on his back.
The shooter admitted that it has been a topsy turvy 2025 so far, returning to the international fray with a 12th place finish at the Cyprus World Cup in May, shooting 120 in qualification and missing out on progressing to the final.
Having to pull out of the Italy World Cup due to a family commitment means that things have been relatively quiet for Hales, as he struggles to find consistency after the highs of 2024.
"It's been an up-and-down year for me," he said. "We had a couple of early events, in April and May time, but they were only domestic events, and then it's been fairly quiet since.
"I missed the last World Cup for a family event, so I turned down the spot for that and stayed home, which is always a tough decision.
"I've felt fairly flat throughout our competitions this year. I think things have been very busy, so I found it quite hard to juggle training as well as outside life or other commitments this year.
"But I think it's one of those that you sort of get used to it. The more you do, the more you get used to it, and the easier it becomes moving forward."
It's not uncommon for athletes to see a dip in form post-Olympic year, with everything having led up to peaking at the Games.
The season heats up again for Hales at the European Championships this week and with the event taking place in Chateauroux, at the exact same range Hales soared to Olympic gold last summer, it might just be the lift he needs to return to the top.
"Europeans is the first big event I've had for a while," he added.
"It's great to be able to go back out to Chateauroux, to the Olympic range and see it all again.
"I think that could be the buzz that I'm needing this season.
"I'm just excited to get into a position where I can compete which is nice."
No matter what happens in Chateauroux, Hales will still hold the title of Olympic champion.
And a year on from that special moment at Paris 2024, the Brit admitted that he is already dreaming of another Olympic Games at LA 2028.
"To think it's been a year already is crazy," he said. "It doesn't seem like there's been enough time between then and now for a year to have passed.
"But as we get closer to the next one now, my sights are set on the on LA 2028 and gearing up, getting ready for quota places by the end of next year."
Sportsbeat 2025