Only 48 hours after taking the podium for the Olympics’ first-ever mixed teams air rifle competition, North Carolina State University alum Lucas Kozeniesky was flying home with a new silver carry-on.
The Olympic Games showcase a wide variety of sports, including three types of mixed shooting. To Kozeniesky, shooting is a model Olympic challenge.
“It's an Olympic sport because people have a very hard time dealing with themselves," he said. "If you're in your own space and there's no other outlet, you are confronted with yourself in a room with a mirror. And you could be going through your whole shot process, and all of a sudden there's a mistake. It challenges the soul.”
Inspired by the words of famed Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, Kozeniesky lives by the philosophy of “what’s important now.”
“When I'm in my competition or I'm training, it's asking myself that question all the time. It's easy to put it into the perspective of ‘it’s literally one shot at a time,’” he said.
This has carried him through all the highs and lows of competition starting at NC State, where he spent six weeks unable to train or compete due to medical issues. But, obstacle transformed into opportunity for Kozeniesky who took this time to explore a different type of training.
“Life was telling me I have to sit down and not do anything. And so I started exploring mental management and dealing with my self image and dealing with goals and management,” he said.
His mental training shone through in the finals as Kozeniesky and his shooting partner, Mary Tucker, fought millimeters to earn their silver medals. It’s also why there was nothing but smiles and beaming pride on the podium.
“Something that's really important to me is being able to smile before the medal. My entire experience through my craft is not determined by the success. I mean this [brandishing his silver medal] is great, I love this, but that's not it," he said.
"During the final in the individual match, I was one of the only people that actually turned around and smiled at the crowd because I'm okay within. That acceptance and understanding of what I was doing has been a big key for me.”
Unlike most Olympic sports, Kozeniesky’s specialty utilizes not a ball nor board, but equipment for which he’s been flagged by airport security. He acknowledges the stigma around shooting, especially in the United States, but also explains why the sport is distinct from the politics surrounding gun issues.
“I hope that a lot of people would recognize the sport for what it is, instead of the stigma behind it. It's about the person trying to pursue something inside of their soul. That is what [the sport of] shooting is,” he said.
For Kozeniesky this inner pursuit did not end on the Tokyo podium nor the flight home. He described his continued journey: “It’s full steam ahead for Paris. I made that decision immediately after my individual event where I finished sixth. I made some genuine legit progress these last five years, so let's give it another three. Why not?”
Julia Fairchild Roth is a junior at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media specializing in sports broadcast.
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