First medal sparkles in gold

Ryan Hadden, an Oregon native and member of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit, hoped to display his talent at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Cup early in May in Cairo, Egypt.

And he did better than that.

He earned the gold medal.

Hadden snagged his first-ever ISSF medal in the men's trap division, and he did it in dramatic fashion. He vaulted from seventh place to fourth just before the final round, catapulting to a tie for first on the last day. Then he won a shoot-off against Jesus Serrano of Spain in extremely windy conditions.

"It made me feel good," understated the 29-year-old Hadden. "But I was very, very confident."

That confidence stemmed from hitting 47-of-50 targets in his rise to fourth place.

In the final round, shooters are allowed just one attempt at the target, yet he nailed 23-of-25 targets to forge a tie for the top. And in the shoot-off, he simply outlasted Serrano by shooting perfectly.

Not bad considering the gusty winds, but then Hadden admits he prefers adverse conditions. Perhaps that's an extension of his childhood days in Oregon, where he and his father Rick often hunted in strong winds.

Hadden was born and raised in the small town of Pendleton located in northeast Oregon, where hunting is a prevalent sport. He wasn't allowed to hunt at an early age, but he did tag along with his father Rick, who owned and still runs a sporting goods store and eventually got him up to speed with a BB gun and target practice. Soon, however, he was out in the woods with his dad, shooting away.

"There are a lot of very avid outdoors people in Pendleton," Hadden explained. "We did a lot of big game hunting, but mainly pheasant. My dad took me out when I was a little guy, before I was big enough to shoot. He was teaching me gun safety. Then I started using a BB gun before I worked my way up to big caliber guns. It was something I enjoyed from the get-go."

When Hadden was about 10,, he noticed something he had never seen before as he and his father drove along.

"What's that?" he asked his dad.

"That's a trap range," replied his dad, who had retired from trap shooting after a long and successful run.

Ryan became intrigued, but it did take nearly a year for his curiosity to be transformed into action.

"About nine months later, he took me out there and I fell in love with it," Hadden recalled. "I knew it was something I wanted to pursue."

Soon, he began participating in American Trap competitions. The victories piled up. He won a number of state titles within the first year and eventually qualified for the Junior Olympic team. And when an Army recruiter explained that he could join the marksmanship unit, it didn't take long for Hadden to sign on the dotted line.

Hadden has been a member of that elite group for 11 years. It has not only allowed him to train others in maximizing their marksmanship capabilities, but it has afforded him the opportunity to travel the world for various competitions. After trips to Ohio and North Carolina, he will be headed to Italy.

"I really enjoy the travel," he said. "Not too many people can say at the age of 29 that they've been to nearly every state in the country and about a dozen different places worldwide."

What makes it more rewarding is that wife Edyta, a nurse by trade, is always a supportive wife and a loving mother to their 6-year-old son Daniel. Even though her husband is often away from home, Edyta does whatever she can to support him. And that not only makes Ryan's job easier, but it gives him a greater sense of joy when the family is together.

Hadden, who is a staff sergeant, lives off base with Edyta and Daniel. He plans to remain in the Army as long as he is able to stay with the marksmanship unit. But he also plans on making a huge push for a place on the U.S. Olympic team at the 2012 London Olympics.

By that time, he might just be peaking. He qualified for the USA Shooting team this spring and has participated in three World Cup competitions.

But he also understands more than ever that earning medals in shooting takes more than just skills. He feels that he's consistently improving, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, which is one reason he withstood the pressure and came back to win the 2009 ISSF World Cup in Cairo.

"I think it's a combination of things," he said. "One of them is just being more mature. There are a lot of times that athletes run into roadblocks and are forced to get over humps. And when they are able to do that, they start winning a lot. That's kind of the way it's been with me and my shooting."

And to think it all started with a kid and his BB gun in Pendleton..

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Marty Gitlin 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.