LYMPIANS Eight locals to compete on the world stage by Borden Black S August 2012 Staff Sergeant Josh Olson is living his
dream. Two years ago he said; “My dream is to be the first active duty soldier to go to the Paralympics.” Now he and six of his U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) team members from Fort Benning are headed to London for the Olympics and Paralympics. In 2003 Olson was injured while serv-
ing in Operation Iraqi Freedom. A rocket propelled grenade exploded and took off Olson’s leg at the hip. Since he was a “good shot” in the Army and wanted to continue serving, he tried out for the USAMU. Since joining the unit, Olson has learned
competition shooting skills from scratch. One of his coaches has said that Olson is at a disadvantage because one leg is lying on the ground differently, and that makes it hard to get stable. Nonetheless the soldier hopes to not only compete in the Paralym- pics but to go to the Olympics some day. Olson says that it’s hard not to succeed with the facility and the coaching that is provided at USAMU.
The USAMU team (L-R) Eric Uptagrafft, Michael McPhail, Glenn Eller, Josh Richmond and Josh Olson posed for photos after unveiling an Olympic display at the National Infantry Museum.
Te unit, headquartered at Fort Ben-
ning, was formed in 1956 and began send- ing soldiers to the Olympics in 1960. Since then, Army soldiers have won 23 Olympic medals. For Sgt. Glenn Eller the Olympics is old
hat. He first competed in double trap in the 2000 games as a civilian, then again
in 2004. He joined the Army before the 2008 games in Beijing and won gold there. Since then he has faltered in matches, but has come back strong this year. “I joined the best team in the world,” he says of the USAMU. Eller will be rooming and training
with fellow double trap shooter Staff Sgt. Josh Richmond. Although this is his first Olympics competing, Richmond was an alternate in 2008. He says he’s actually more relaxed now, and he feels the pres- sure of qualifying was higher than what he will experience during the games. While both say they are competitive
and want the gold, the shooters also say there is plenty of room on the podium for both of them. “As long as one of us wins, we all win,” says Eller. Staff Sgt. Michael McPhail and Sgt.
Sgt. 1st. Class Eric Uptagrafft and wife Sandra are thought to be the first husband wife team competing in the 2012 Olympics.
It is the second Olympics for Sgt. Vincent Hancock, who won gold in Beijing.
Columbus and the Valley
1st Class Eric Uptagraf will also go head to head in their event: men’s rifle prone. McPhail says Uptagraf is shar- ing the experience he acquired during the
39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68