Richmond shoots for 2012

Josh Richmond was only 5 when he decided what sport he wanted to make his passion.

All it took was a dare.

"My grandfather made a $5 bet with me that I wouldn't take a shot with his rifle,'' Richmond recalled. "He thought I'd be too frightened. He guided me and was surprised that I did it. I still laugh about that to this day with my family. I guess the $5 motivated me."

Richmond's latest goal is much loftier than a $5 bet.

It's the ultimate goal for any athlete - competing in the Olympics.

Richmond has come ever so close to achieving that goal twice in the men's double trap for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

"They take the top two shooters, and in 2004, I was tied for fourth," Richmond said. "In 2008, I had one bad qualifying day and wound up finishing third overall. There was one day where the wind kicked up and I didn't make the adjustments I needed to make. The other guys did and qualified.''

Richmond was selected as an alternate for the Olympics and said he was "happy'' for those who made the team. But he also learned an important lesson.

"In shooting,'' he said, "one bad day can make the difference."

Now Richmond, 23, is focused making the Olympics in London in 2012.

"It's the only reason I'm out here doing what I am doing," Richmond said. "I want to be at the Olympics. I got some great experience as an alternate. Now, I want to be among the best. I've won a number of international medals. I recently won a gold medal in the men's double trap at the World Cup in Munich, Germany.

"I know that I need to dominate over the next couple of years and keep my focus on 2012. It's everything to me."

Training in this particular sport is very different than most others. It doesn't have the same kind of physical demands of sports such as basketball, swimming or track and field.

But that doesn't mean it's not physical. Just different.

"I would say it's 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical," Richmond said. "There are some physical demands. The gun weighs 8 to 10 pounds. Your shoulders can get real tense at the end of a real long training session. It is taxing on the body. I know this: At the end of the day, my body is obliterated. I'm physically and mentally spent and all I want to do is to go to sleep. Then I'll get up and prepare to do it all over again."

Richmond is currently a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Ft. Benning, Ga. He's also taking online courses through Troy State University, studying general education.

"Education has always been stressed in my family," Richmond said. "My mom has a master's degree and is a registered nurse. My wife has an RN degree. I told my mom I would take classes. I didn't want to be the only one without a degree. There isn't a whole lot of time for me. I'm taking about one class per semester online. It can be hard because I'm traveling out of the country so much. It would be easier if I were in the United States all the time."

Having the flexibility to take the classes is helpful.

"I also think it keeps me sharp," Richmond said. "I'm focused. In my sport, you have to be focused. In school you have to be focused as well."

You also have to be relaxed. When he does get some quality time away from everything, he'll go horseback riding to clear his mind.

"I'm a very outdoorsy, country type of guy," Richmond said. "I like to ride horses 3 to 4 times when I'm at home. I like to take a long trail ride. In addition, my wife is from Alaska and she has a cabin on a lake. There is no cell phone service and no TVs. We'll throw the clocks away and relax. I also like to go hunting and fishing. Really, just getting away is what works for me."

Shooting worked for him from the time he was 5. Actually, you could say it started when he was still in the womb. His father actually won Josh his first shotgun at a trap competition when Josh's mother was pregnant with him. Richmond was 11 when he began shooting competitively and hasn't looked back.

"I just fell in love with it," Richmond said. "I played other sports like basketball. I fell in love with shooting. It's what I wanted to do athletically. I guess being the type of outdoors person that I am, that's why I loved it so much. I still have the same passion for the sport. I want to compete in the Olympics so badly. I'm still only 23 years old. The first time I tried to qualify in 2004, I was still in high school. I am much more experienced now."

Not to mention motivated.

"If you're not motivated, you're not going to do what you need to do," Richmond said. "I know that one bad day can change everything.  You have to be ready all the time. The shooters that qualify don't have bad days."

Richmond's next stop is a trip to Belarus. It will be one of many, many competitions over the next couple of years as he seeks to get one of those spots in the 2012 Olympics.

"Definitely," he said. "It's why I'm pushing myself as hard as I am. I was so happy for Glenn Eller, who qualified in 2008. I trained with him when I was an alternate. Being that close to something you've worked your whole life for and then falling just short is tough. It makes you stronger. I know what I have to do qualify for 2012."

Would a $5 bet make a difference?

"It worked when I was 5," Richmond quipped.

Seriously, it's all about focus, concentration and accuracy.

"I know I have the talent," he said. "Now, it's just about doing it."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Andy Jasner is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.

Additonal words from the sidelines:

1.) Favorite band/music?

                    Hank Williams, Jr. ... "I like all country music and I play the guitar."

                    2.) How do you communicate? Do you Twitter/on Facebook/Text/Blog?

                    "I have a Facebook page. I don't post on it too much because I don't have the time. I don't do the other online things."

                    

                    

3.) If you could meet one Olympian, past or present, who would it be/why? 

                    "It would have to be Muhammad Ali. I've always admired him since I was a kid."

                    

                    

4.) Favorite Olympic sport (that's not the one you compete in)? 

                    Swimming.

                    

                    

5.) Favorite Olympic moment (either your own or one that you watched/remember most)?

                    "It had to be with Glenn Eller won the gold medal in the double trap shooting event at the 2008 Olympics. I trained with him. Even though I was an alternate and he won, I was happy for him."