paralympic athlete of the Year
John Joss
In a true breakout year for USA Shooting’s Paralympic program, it was John Joss (Fort Michael, Ala.) who became the breakout star of the program in 2013. From two Paralympians in 2012, to now, a full team of capable shooters, Joss’ ability to distinguish himself among his teammates was even more im- pressive. Joss was a relative unknown to begin the year, but after win- ning several medals he has shown he’s capable of headlin- ing a Paralympic rifl e program ripe with new talent and with a future that seems bigger and brighter than ever. Joss kicked the year off in
Austria in January winning three medals in as many rifl e events. Joss is one of several new ath- letes in the U.S. Army Marks- manship Unit’s (USAMU) new
Para division at Fort Benning. In May, Joss took the next huge step by winning a bronze medal at the IPC World Cup in Antalya, Turkey. At the biggest event of the year, the IPC World Cup in Bang- kok, Thailand, Joss provided the highlight of the trip by winning the gold medal in the R3 Air Rifl e Prone event.
As recently as the Dixie Dou-
ble in Anniston, Ala., Joss fi red a qualifying score likely to make fi nals at IPC World Cups in the R3 event. In addition, Joss also earned two national titles during USA Shooting’s National Rifl e & Pistol Championships.
The quick results are fueling
Joss’ desire for greatness that much more. “I believe the results throughout this previous year have been just the tip of the ice- berg,” he says. “With my training and match scores climbing every
day, the future looks very bright for me and I’ve got my eyes on the podium of Rio. Although far- fetched, I don’t believe it’s out of my reach.” Joss credits the USAMU and USA Shooting for providing him with the opportunities he’s been given and the equipment and support he needs to be success- ful. He believes that this network of support combined with his in- tense desire to win and his com- petitive nature is an unbeatable combination. Training alongside some of
the sport’s best marksmen is an added bonus and one that has Joss outperforming his experi- ence. “With multiple Olympians training in my close proximity, I’ve learned decades of knowl- edge in a short amount of time,” says Joss. “My coaches set me
on the right path with training so there is very little, if any, wasted training time. Headed by SFC Ar- mando Ayalla, and Service Rifl e Champion SFC Daniel Peters, we are surrounded by excellence. I believe the balance of ARMY duties, responsibilities, and the daily regimented life adds an excellent structure to a shooter.” Still, he’d be lying if he tells
you he envisioned the success he found in 2013. “I never thought I would gain such success so fast,” Joss ad- mits.
“Especially when I fi rst
started, and it was such a strug- gle. But my fi rst few performanc- es fueled my desire to win. And with Matt Rawlings as my coach thereafter, we set a plan in train- ing for success.”
Year in Review 2013 | USA Shooting News
77
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