Fairlee, Vermont - January 23, 2012
For aspiring Olympians, the cost to compete can be a heavy burden, but for one young athlete in the Upper Valley, a popular local store is doing what it can to make that dream a reality.
For Fairlee's Tara Geraghty-Moats, skiing has always been a passion. "I really started skiing when I was two years old in my back yard in West Fairlee, Vermont and it has always been part of my life," she said.
But a knee injury sidelined the former ski jumper. So in the Summer of 2010, she picked up a rifle. Medals scattered about her home show she's a good shot. "I really enjoy the challenge of shooting because you are doing two really contradictory sports -- which is skiing hard, you raise your heart rate and then you are trying to shoot a .22," Geraghty-Moats said.
In the recent North American Junior Championship held in Jericho, Geraghty-Moats had two 1st place finishes and one 2nd. And in February she's headed to the Junior World Championships in Finland. But competing isn't cheap. "Bullets, you know, you need bullets to shoot," she said.
Geraghty-Moats needed a sponsor, so she approached the folks at Farm-Way-- an outdoor sporting store in Bradford. It was a natural fit because she's been a shopper there since she was a kid.
"She doesn't ask for much and it is great to see someone local doing as well as she does," said the store's Skip Metayer.
Along with bullets, the store has donated socks, gloves and other items to the athlete. It may not sound like much, but the 18-year-old says that since she's paying her own way to compete, every little bit helps.
"We were actually just out at a trade show in Salt Lake and I ran into the people from SmartWool and Ibex and Darn Tough and those people all want to stand behind her and feed her things here and there to make it a little easier for her to go through her ventures," Metayer said.
Ventures that are taking her around the world. But a little sticker on the side of her gun is a constant reminder of home. "Not only are you trying to be the best competitor you are but you are also an ambassador for your area," Geraghty-Moats said.
"It's impressive to see what she's done and how far she's gone with. Like I said, the little local support that she's got, she's done really well. We are really proud of her." Metayer said.
Now she's setting her sights on the future, and someday, a possible bid to the Olympics. A target her community may help her reach.
