August 31, 2016 Updated: August 31, 2016 8:35pm
Marine veteran Marco de la Rosa won a silver medal at the IPC World Cup in Szczecin, Poland, in the spring and scored high enough to qualify for the Paralympic Games this month.
In the past few years, up-and-coming competitive shooter Marco de la Rosa has had great showings at air pistol tournaments for disabled athletes. The Marine veteran’s success led to thoughts of competing at the world level, marshaling his energy toward making the team for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Then came a phone call that fast-tracked his plans — national Paralympics coach Bob Foth asked if he’d like to go to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Paralympic Games this month.
“As a spectator?” de la Rosa asked.
“No,” Foth replied. “As a competitor.”
De la Rosa boarded a flight for Rio, to join the U.S. team in International Paralympic Committee shooting. His inclusion came when two slots opened on the team as a result of Russian competitors suspended from the games by the IPC reacting to evidence of their government’s complicity in skirting anti-doping codes.
“I’m still in shock,” said de la Rosa, 45. “The first person I called was my mother. Everybody is excited for me.”
His father, whom he had looked forward to sharing the news with, died in May.
The Chicago native’s road to the Paralympics came years after the incident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. On Nov. 15, 1993, de la Rosa, a Marine corporal, was shot while trying to stop a burglary outside Camp Pendleton in California. The bullet, lodged in his back, damaged his spinal cord.
He was medically retired. Through the years, he’s battled bouts of depression and drinking, but interacting with fellow veterans has always steadied him.
In an article for the Paralyzed Veterans of America, de la Rosa said it might seem unusual to people that he’s involved with a sport that bring back memories of his injury. To him, it’s a form of therapy.
In 1998, he moved to San Antonio, where he has worked with other disabled veterans. Since 2006, he’s helped motivate others with one of his biggest supporters, Mary Virginia Pittman-Waller, president of MVP’s Welcome Home Wounded Warrior Initiative.
“I am so thrilled,” Pittman-Waller said. “It is a remarkable thing, and I hope it will inspire others. He’s one of the finest human beings you can meet.”
When de la Rosa visited the local Veterans Administration center as an outpatient, he wanted to take part in adaptive sports — his choice was either the National Veteran Wheelchair Games or the Winter Sports Clinic for paraplegics.
Recreational therapist Jose Laguna said de la Rosa showed a natural prowess right off the bat for the air pistol. The one-handed grip wasn’t easy, but he learned to steady his aim and control his breathing before firing.
“We’re so proud, and we’re all cheering him on,” Laguna said. “I hope we follow Marco all the way to gold.”
Spectators at matches were also impressed with his skills, calling him a natural. In 2014, de la Rosa traveled to Dallas for his first event, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, sponsored by the Veterans Affairs Department and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. He outscored his opponents by 100 points.
De la Rosa advanced to California. Olympics coaches there saw his form and recommended him to Foth, who invited him to the World Cup in Fort Benning, Georgia. With Foth advising him, his shots improved.
In May, de la Rosa won a silver medal at the IPC World Cup in Szczecin, Poland, and scored high enough to qualify for the Paralympics. He plans to take in the beaches and visit the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Mountain towering above the city. And he’ll be doing his best for his family, the Marine Corps and the United States.
“Semper Fi, that’s me right there,” he said.
Posted by Thom Erik Syrdahl
Source - http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Local-veteran-represents-United-States-at-2016-9195103.php
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