COLORADO SPRINGS — Army Sergeant First Class John Wayne Joss is competing in the Paralympics for the third time after he lost part of his leg during combat in Iraq.
Joss is the current record-holder in the R6 Mixed 50m Free Rifle Prone SH1 event, where he shoots a rifle at a target 50 meters away, aiming at the center that's about half the size of a dime. Joss is a three-time Paralympic athlete, competing in the 2016, 2020, and now 2024 Games in Paris.
“I'm ready," he said. “You just got to really kind of go with the flow and, you know, of course, try your best, but don't be upset if it doesn't go perfectly."
Joss enlisted in the Army in 2004 and was injured by a roadside bomb during a 2007 deployment in Iraq, leading to a right lower leg amputation.
“I joined the Army, just a red-blooded American guy. There were wars going on and I felt that the best place I could be to help my country was, you know, in the army with a rifle," he said. Even after his injury, Joss said he fought to keep serving.
He joined the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program in 2017 and has accomplished many victories in the sport ever since.
“All of my friends that I've made over these 14 years of shooting, I get to see them here and these big events like this, and we all just have a great time," he said.
He said he's ready to wrap up his Paralympic career in Paris and has learned to lower his expectations for the event.
“I learned in the second one that I had too many expectations. I had been shooting really, really well for years. At that point, I knew what to do, I knew how to win, and I got there, and just let it all hit me, and I shot pretty poorly there," Joss said. “This one, I think I've learned that it's like, this is your last one. Let's just have fun like we did the first one, and just let things happen and not try to force outcomes."
The qualifications and finals for the R6 Mixed 50m Free Rifle Prone SH1 event are happening Thursday, Sept. 5. The competition is at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre about three hours south of Paris.
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