Born and raised in the Isle of Man, Kneale spent most of his childhood as a sporting enthusiast, representing the nation in cricket and also captaining the men's under-nineteen rugby team. After suffering a fractured leg which left him unable to play rugby at age eighteen, Kneale took up shooting more seriously, and eventually tried his hand at double trap. Although he began the sport, as a 16-year-old teen, in an international meet, Kneale set his shooting history as a member of the British national team in 2002. At that time, he helped his fellow shooters secure a bronze medal in a team event at the ISSF World Championships in Lahti, Finland.