Can you imagine a better way to build excitement for the sport of air gun competition than the Olympics? The MidwayUSA Foundation recently offered the chance to meet and learn from Olympic air gun shooters to a slew of junior competitors, and we're predicting that at least one of those competitors (and maybe many more) will be back in a decade or so with Olympic metal of their own. Held at the X Count Facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this training camp was coached by three decorated Olympians and one Olympic coach, creating memories that will last a lifetime for the lucky trainees.
The star-studded lineup included Lucas Kozeniesky, the recent silver medalist from the Tokyo games in mixed team air rifle. A two-time Olympic veteran, Kozeniesky also founded Team Winning Solutions, a professional organization that provides personal training and guidance to shooting athletes. James Hall, a top-10 finisher in the 2020 Olympics in men's and mixed team air pistol, was also there to offer his expertise. Triple Olympian and USA’s National Pistol Team Coach Jason Turner rounded out the lineup of Olympic shooters, while highly decorated rifle coach and President of the X Count Facility mentored the young shooters.
Hall talked about the importance of passing along knowledge to the future of shooting sports. “Having experience with rifle, as well as pistol and getting to work with these young athletes at this developmental age is a key component to giving back to the sport.” To attend, the athletes made a tax-deductible donation to their team’s endowment with MidwayUSA Foundation, a public charity working to sustain and grow youth shooting sports. Donations are also matched through a matching program offered by MidwayUSA Foundation.
The MidwayUSA Foundation continues to find new ways to help communities fund their local youth shooting teams. Events, like this air gun training camp, can not only bring in donations but can also connect the community to the team and the athletes it serves. Funding provided by a team’s MidwayUSA Foundation endowment ensures current and future athletes have the funds to cover critical expenses needed to practice and compete. To learn about more MidwayUSA Foundation events, click here!
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