our sports: PRECISION SHOOTING
Rhiann Travis —
Shooting Star
Local Girl Aims for the Olympics
BY MELISSA MOORMAN
FEBRUARY 2016
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
R
hiann Travis had no idea that
after only four years of shooting
precision rifles, she would be in
contention to represent the United
States at the Olympics in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil in August of this year.
For the Summer Olympic Games,
there are 15 shooting events: six
for women and nine for men. The
athletes are divided into shotgun,
rifle and pistol disciplines. The sport
debuted in the Athens Olympic
Games in 1896. Only one woman
will represent the U.S. to shoot
precision rifles in the competition,
and Rhiann wants to be that one
woman.
A friend who was already
involved in the sport texted her one
night four years ago and mentioned
her interest in shooting and suggested
that Rhiann might also enjoy it. She
didn’t have anything to do that night
and as they say the rest is history.
Rhiann shoots her precision air
rifle at a target 10 meters away and is
judged on accuracy. She trains two to
three hours each day, throughout the
year. She practices at home shooting
from the living room into her
bedroom, as well as at local shooting
ranges and her coach’s home. The
air rifle that she shoots emits a small
pellet toward its target.
Travis is currently a senior
at Weatherford Christian School
and will be celebrating her 18th
birthday just outside of Munich,
Germany while attending a shooting
competition. She is also competing in
Vienna, Austria and will be gone to
Europe for two weeks. “I’ve already
52
had to make up all my calculus for
when I’m going to be gone. That was
quite the experience,” she admitted.
The Springtown resident grew
up showing horses since before she
could walk which she continues to
do. She uses her equestrian pursuits
to cross train for shooting. She said
that riding horses has helped her with
her balance as a shooter as well as
the mental aspects of the sport. “I
think what makes me a good shooter
is that I was a good rider. A lot of the
mental aspects, the self-training, the
tools, the skills and lessons that you
learn from riding transition very well
into the rifle,” she said. She admits
to being a bit competitive when she
shoots, “If I’m going to go, I want to
win,” she said.
Rhiann did well at a competition
held by the Civilian Marksmanship
Program in November of 2015
earning top honors in the Junior
Division which encompassed
competitors in the 20 and under
group. Rhiann was High Junior and
the Overall Open Rifle Winner at the
event held in Anniston, Alabama.
With her win, Travis outdid her
performance at last year’s event,
where she finished second overall
and bested older and more seasoned
competitors for the win.
The second round of the Olympic
trials for the Rio Games is in Ohio
this June. Travis is looking forward
to visiting Ohio and is hoping to
squeeze in her freshman orientation
at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio