Opportunities of Olympic Proportion – My trip to the OTC
Last week I had the privilege of visiting the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, CO. Just pulling up to the OTC and seeing the bronze sculptures and the Olympic Rings gave me a sense of awe knowing that for many, the path to greatness happens right here. As one of three centers throughout the United States, athletes from sports like swimming, volleyball, wrestling and shooting can be seen on the complex, training to become the best in the world.
I came to represent Smith & Wesson and Walther America for their support of the 2009 Junior Olympics. The companies supplied Walther SP22 M4’s, an excellent entry level pistol, for both the Junior Olympics and a special training clinic for those who were new to the Sport Pistol event. There were 20 juniors who qualified for the clinic and it was very special for me knowing that any one of these students could be a future medalist in the Olympic Games.
The gracious staff at USA Shooting gave me the opportunity to sit through the classroom presentation that covered the basics of the sport and techniques for optimized performance. I had exposure to this style of shooting while I was at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU), but I learned so much from the excellent instruction provided by the coaches in the clinic. I wrote pages of notes and am fascinated by the science behind this style of shooting. After encouragement from the coaches and staff, I am even looking into giving it a try at some point.
The US Shooting Team enjoyed great success at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and USA Shooting is always looking for ways to make international style shooting grow. In fact, the organization is specifically looking into ways to increase participation in the Women’s Sport Pistol Event. Yet another way for women to become involved in the shooting sports! If you are interested in giving one of the events a try and would like more information, visit www.usashooting.org.
