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OF THE CHALLENGER FROM CENTRAL ALABAMA TO A WORLDWIDE STAGE, OUR STATE PLAYING A BIG PART IN SENDING TEAM USA TO PARRISH FOR THE SUMMER GAMES. AS �������� 13 S EMMA OWEN REPORTS. ANNISTON IS BUZZING WITH PARIS 2024 HOPEFULS RIGHT NOW THAT SAYS THE OLYMPIC AIR RIFLE AND PISTOL TEAM WILL BE SELECTED IN THE COMING DAYS. YEARS OF PRACTICE ALL COMING DOWN TO THIS ATHLETES GATHERING AT THE CIVILIAN MARKSMANSHIP PROGRAM IN HOPES OF ACHIEVING THEIR OLYMPIC DREAM. I’VE BEEN SHOOTING FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS, SO ABOUT TEN YEARS OF PREPARATION HAS GONE INTO THIS. WHILE 21 YEAR OLD AIR RIFLE SHOOTER RYLAN KESSEL HAS BEEN SHOOTING FOR ALMOST HALF HIS LIFE, IT WASN’T UNTIL AGE 16 THAT HE LOCKED IN ON HIS GOAL OF BECOMING AN OLYMPIAN. SO THAT’S KIND OF WHEN I STARTED GETTING SERIOUS AND, UH, IT’S IT’S BEEN A LONG WAYS TO GET HERE, BUT I’M DEFINITELY PROUD OF MYSELF FOR MAKING IT AND EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND ME FOR MAKING IT HERE AS WELL. ANOTHER PARIS 2024 HOPEFUL, ALEXIS LAGON. I DIDN’T KNOW THAT OLYMPIC PISTOL SHOOTING WAS A SPORT UNTIL I WAS IN COLLEGE. ONCE I FOUND IT, I REALLY GOT EXCITED ABOUT IT. TRIED OUT FOR THE 2026 OR 2016 RIO OLYMPICS AND JUST BARELY MISSED IT. SO THAT FEELING FIRE TO BE ABLE TO GO AFTER TOKYO AND MADE THE TOKYO TEAM. AND NOW WE’RE WORKING FOR PARIS LEIGHTON MADE HOMETOWN HISTORY, BECOMING BOULDER CITY, NEVADA’S FIRST OLYMPIAN. SHE NOW HOPES TO DO IT AGAIN IN PARIS. THIS TIME I’M I AM AN OLYMPIAN. SO THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, THAT CONFIDENCE OF LIKE, I’VE DONE THIS BEFORE, I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING THIS TIME. UM, BUT THERE’S ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE OF LIKE, OH MAN, I WANT TO BE AN OLYMPIAN AGAIN. IT WAS SO COOL TO BE AN OLYMPIAN FOR TOKYO LIKE, I GOT TO DO THIS AGAIN. TWO ATHLETES, ONE HOPING TO RETURN TO THE GAMES. THE OTHER LOOKING TO MAKE A FIRST APPEARANCE, BOTH POURING YEARS INTO THE SPORT THEY LOVE. IT’S KIND OF LIKE YOU’VE BEEN. TRAINING FOR HOWEVER MANY YEARS, AND YOU KIND OF GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU’RE LIKE, OH, THIS IS THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN TRAINING FOR. SO DEFINITELY A LITTLE NERVOUS, SUPER EXCITED.