Mead Teen A Phone Call Away From Beijing

SPOKANE — Rifle shooting is a sport we seem to only think about once every four years when the Olympics rolls around. Eastern Washington has produced an Olympic gold medalist in Lanei Meili, and we may have another future Olympian.

Amanda Furrer is a senior at Mead High School, with an eye for fashion, and she competes on the rifle national team.

“My dad got me started when I was 11 years old,” Furrer said. “My sister was actually the first one in the family to do the junior rifle and of course you know I had to beat her. I started shooting and it just took off from there.”

Take a first glance at Amanda and you may not see her competing in this sport, but she knows that and is used to it.

“I really don’t look like someone you would point out to be a shooter,” Furrer said. “I tell them, and they’re like ‘You shoot basketballs or what?’ So, um, sillly things like that. They all think it’s really cool.”

Amanda’s dedication to rifle shooting has paid off as she has a basement full of medals, but her biggest accomplishment so far has been trying out for this year’s Olympic team.

“It was just so stressful, it was like four years of my life all coming together in one match and, um, I took third place in that, which makes me alternate for the Beijing Olympic team,” Furrer said. “But, um, ya know, just a few points away from the team. Its okay though. I can just practice the next four years and hopefully next season, I can slip on there.”

Going to the summer games is not out of the question. She is an alternate and is a phone call away from jumping on a plane and representing the U.S.