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This US Paralympian is a straight shooter and feminist icon

“My entire life was changed because of a mentor I had and I can only hope that one day I can have the same impact on other kids, especially kids with disabilities."

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U.S. Paralympian McKenna Geer (Hanger Clinic via SWNS)

By Brelaun Douglas via SWNS

This Paralympian was the first woman to bring home a para-shooting medal for the US in the 2016 games and she competed again in Tokyo this summer.

McKenna Geer, 25, was born with amyoplasia arthrogryposis, a rare condition that impacted the muscle development in her feet and left hand, and caused her joints to contract.

“I have all of my muscles groups, it's just not all of the muscles that are supposed to be in them are,” saidGeer, from Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“For day-to-day activities, I wear orthotics on both feet to help with stability and balance and I use a wheelchair for longer distances.”

Geer, using a wheelchair and arm supports while shooting, scored bronze in the Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2 at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Paralympic games, becoming the first woman and the 5th overall person to bring the U.S. a medal in para-shooting since its debut in 1976.

"It was such an honor to go down there and represent not only myself but the people who supported me and the US as well,” she said.

"It was pure excitement and the feeling of knowing that all my hard work came together exactly when it was supposed to.”

Geer fell in love with shooting at camp as a child.

"When you turned 12 you got to go shooting with the big kids,” she said.

U.S. Paralympian McKenna Geer, who was born with amyoplasia arthrogryposis. (Hanger Clinic via SWNS)

"I just really loved how personal the sport was."

After the camp director noticed how much Geer enjoyed it, he invited her to a shooting match, which put her on the radar of a Paralympic coach.

“A year and a half after I shot at camp, I was out at the Olympic and Paralympic training center for my first Paralympic camp,” Geer said.

When COVID delayed Geer’s 2020 Tokyo dreams, she continued her training and working part-time at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum.

"A typical day of training is on the range from about eight until noon, a break for lunch and then the afternoons are utilized for off of the range training: sports psychology, nutrition, sports medicine and recovery, and strength and conditioning workouts,” Geer said.

This August she competed in both air rifle and small-bore shooting at the Tokyo games, aiming to hit impossibly small targets.

“The target in air gun is about the size of a silver dollar and the bullseye’s about the size of a period in a newspaper,”Geer said.

“In small-bore, the target is about the size of a grapefruit and the bullseye’s the size of a dime.”

U.S. Paralympian McKenna Geer.(Hanger Clinic via SWNS)
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In the future, Geer hopes to bring access to sports and the outdoors to children around the US.

“My entire life was changed because of a mentor I had and I can only hope that one day I can have the same impact on other kids, especially kids with disabilities,” she said

“In the long run even if it’s not a medal, the impact is worth it.”

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