Spartan responds to the call: ready, aim, fire!

The fire that went off inside junior Ginny Thrasher, when hunting with her grandfather became much more than she would have ever thought. For Thrasher, this special moment helped her to discover a powerful passion for rifle.
“I fell in love with it,” says Thrasher.
As a military child, Thrasher moved around a decent amount throughout her childhood. When she moved, Thrasher was looking for something that could involve rifle. When she reached WS, Thrasher saw that the school had its own rifle team. Joining the team set off a series of events that would ultimately change her future.
Currently, Thrasher is a part of both the high school team and a travel team, the Arlington Optimist Acorns. She practices 4-6 times for her personal training, and in the winter, she practices once a week with the high school team. Thrasher participates in other sports such as tennis and ice skating to help physically train her to prepare her for rifle.
As Thrasher continues to compete in bigger and better competitions, there is the possibility that she could one day compete in the Olympics.
“I am taking it one step at a time,” said Thrasher.
She is looking forward to competing at Junior Olympics and Nationals this upcoming year. She is hoping to eventually compete at the international level for rifle.
“[When it comes to competition,] it’s not about competing, it’s about the family, and friends you make along the way,” said Thrasher.
Last year was the first time that Thrasher participates in the national rifle competition.
“It was truly inspiring to see kids just like me who love the sport,” said Thrasher. “It was a really good experience, and I have high hopes for this year’s competition.”
Balancing school and rifle has been difficult, but it helps to not take as many AP classes.
“First priority is always education, shooting comes second,” said Thrasher.
Going to competitions and missing a week of school in both March and April can cause stress, but she makes sure to complete her homework while traveling around to different competitions.
Thrasher hopes to continue rifle into college and shoot for an NCAA Division I team. Colleges have been recruiting her, but she is more focused on what she wants to study in college, rather than specific teams. She has high hopes for rifle to continue in her life, but is aware of the sacrifice that it entails.
“You don’t get where you want to be in life without sacrifice, it all is worth it in the end,” said Thrasher.