By Bob Hertzel
FOR THE REGISTER-HERALD
MORGANTOWN — Once upon a time Ginny Thrasher thought she’d be the next Peggy Fleming.
She was growing up and ice skating was her sport.
“I always wanted to go to the Olympics in ice skating,” she said. “Then, about the time I started high school I started shooting.”
That was when she realized that if she was going to have Olympic success, it was going to be as the next Annie Oakley.
Her grandfather took her hunting and she was hooked.
“Ice skating became a hobby and stress reliever when I went to high school,” she said.
The challenge came from shooting, but who could have imagined in four years this petite blonde, just 19 years of age, would become the NCAA rifle champion as a West Virginia freshman and now a member of the U.S. Olympic team.
“This first year of college has been such a learning experience, such a whirlwind,” she said.
Think of it. Most kids come to college and get used to a new roommate, being off by themselves, maybe sneaking off for a beer or two ... growing up.
Ginny Thrasher came to college and became one of America’s top shooters -- if not THE top shooter. Next Tuesday, while her classmates are in class, she’s leaving for Brazil, site of the Olympics, for the Olympic test event.
But there’s something very interesting in this young lady.
Is she excited? Yes.
Is she blown away? Nervous? Awed? Not one iota.
“It’s nice to be so supported by the Morgantown community and WVU,” she said. “People come up and stop me, congratulate me. The other days, someone wanted to get a selfie with me. It’s nice get attention, especially in a sport that is not so well publicized.
“But has it changed me? No.
First I’m a student-athlete. Like I’m going to be missing these two weeks of class but its nice that the teachers are accommodating me.” She has remained very much down to earth.
Her coach, Jon Hammond, is not surprised by her rapid ascension the shooting world.
“She has a great work ethic.
She’s willing to put the hours in,” he said. “As a coach, she’s incredibly coachable. She listens to everything we have to say. She’s willing to try things, She listens and absorbs everything. She has dedication, drive, motivation.”
She has the perfect approach.
“I’ve gotten to this point by focusing on my process and myself, not thinking of the outcome,” she said.
She is not result driven. “I’ve been told I’m an old soul,” she said. “I want to master the sport. I don’t care if win or go to Olympics.”
What she has done doesn’t make sense for someone as inexperienced as she is.
“To make the Olympics in four years is not super normal,” Hammond said. “Shooting is a unique sport with a large age spread. There are people 40 and 50 year old competing.
Experience plays a big part It’s unbelievable freshman year to win the NCAA and qualify for the Olympics.”
To make what she has accomplished lately even more amazing, she has done it withnew guns.
“I love my two guns. i treat them like gold. They are only about 6 weeks old, but it has been fun adapting to them.
Some people get nervous when they make a change but my Bleiker rifle has been great.
“I immediately took to it. It was a fast transition. Some guns take six months to a year to adapt to,” she said.
“It took her about two days,” Hammond said.
— Follow Bob Hertzel on Twitter @bhertzel
