WEBVTT

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How did you get started in , in

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competitive shooting ? So I got started

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in competitive shooting from a young

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age . Uh , my whole family grew up and

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we were all shooters and hunters for

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the most part , I found out in middle

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school that competitive shooting was an

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actual sport . Um , so I started in a

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program called setp . Uh , from there ,

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I just pursued it and shot , you know ,

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nationally and , uh , eventually went

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to a game called sporting plays with

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the NSC A . So , uh , kept pursuing

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that individually . Um , you know ,

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made some national and international

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teams and actually shot sporting plays

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for NSC A team USA . Um , so I grew up

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hunting and that led to competitive

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shooting was how I got started . What

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is it that you enjoy about shooting ?

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What I enjoy about shooting is that

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it's the only sport to where you can

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have multiple generations and people

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from all different backgrounds ,

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especially age , all doing the same

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sport and enjoying it . Like , you know ,

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if you play baseball or football ,

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you're not seeing your grandfather out

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there , you're not seeing some senior

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competitors versus some junior

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competitors . So there's people from

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all different ages and walks of life

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that are in shooting sports . When did

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you start your dream about going to the

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Olympics ? I've always wanted to

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compete in the Olympics for shooting .

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Um I never shot a discipline up until I

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joined the army to go to the Olympics .

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Uh So I would say it really set in when

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I dec decided to join the army uh in

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2016 , when I joined , uh for the

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marksmanship unit is when I really

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understood , I had an opportunity to go

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to the Olympics because I switched to

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shoot in Olympic discipline . So that's ,

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I've always kind of had a goal in the

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back of my mind , but that's where it

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really set in . What is it about the

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Olympics that draws you to it ? I think

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why I'm drawn to the Olympics is it's

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one of the biggest stages that you can

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compete on . Um You know , I chose a

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long time ago that I want to shoot and

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be competitive . Um And the Olympics is

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the grandest platform where I can

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compete against the best and basically

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demonstrate what I've been training for

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and winning against the entire world .

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Um It's the best of the best and I

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think that just , it's a goal that I've

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always wanted to fulfill . How does it

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feel to finally reach the Olympic dream

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or get another chance ? Um Yeah , I'm ,

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I'm very happy to make an Olympic team .

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This is my first team . It's kind of a

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surreal experience . It really hasn't

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set in because I'm still shooting and

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training for it . Um , but if anything

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I'm more motivated , you know , now I

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get a chance to actually go over there

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and shoot for a medal . So , uh , it's ,

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it's still setting in every day , you

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know , up until I go there and it's

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over now that you're qualified for the

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Olympics . Do you have a new journey ?

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I don't have a new dream . Um You know ,

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my goal is always to be the best

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shooter that I can at the end of my

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career and at the end of every day . Um

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and now it's to make an Olympic team ,

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make another Olympic team . You know ,

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it's the constant chase of be the best

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shooter I can make more Olympic teams

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secure an Olympic medal this time . Um

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So it's just a continuing uh journey of

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be the best I can . Ok . All right .

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What does it mean to know you will

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represent the nation and the army at

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the Olympics ? I would say it's , if

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anything , it's the probably proud is

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the word that comes up . Um You know ,

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I'm very excited for myself and

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everything I've worked for , but to get

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to go there and have , you know , the

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entire United States behind you and

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know that you represent the entire US

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army on that platform . Um It's a big

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thing , you know , if anything , like I

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said , it's empowering and it's

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exciting . How does a soldier

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help you as a competitive marksman ?

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I would say being a soldier helps me

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with being a competitive shooter

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because you're , you're used to delayed

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gratification , right ? There's always

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a grand scheme or a mission . There's

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always an outcome you're reaching for .

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Um And no matter how long that takes ,

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you know , it's instilled in us and for

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a lot of competitors that you're never

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supposed to quit . Um , so I would say

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being a soldier has made me that much

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more resilient in being a shooter and

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chasing a win .