Kimberly Rhode

Nickname

Kim. (Athlete, 09 Mar 2000)

Hobbies

Public speaking, giving shooting demonstrations, skiing, hunting, building and restoring cars, collecting 1800's and 1900's first edition children's books, her favourite being The Wizard of Oz series. (usashooting.com, 25 Jul 2011; USA Shooting, 20 Jan 2004)

Occupation

Athlete

Education

Veterinary Science - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA

Language(s) spoken

English

Club name

Oak Tree Gun Club, Newhall, CA, USA

Coach

Richard Rhode [father] (USA) from 1989 (Athlete, 25 Apr 2012)

Handedness

Right (Athlete, 09 Mar 2000)

Other sports

Her father, Richard, was a competition wrestler. (Atlanta Data, 15 Dec 1997)

Debut

1995 for United States, Pan American Games (Argentina) (Athlete, 09 Mar 2000)

Injuries

She twisted her right knee in a "freak sightseeing accident" at the 2008 World Cup event in Germany. (LA Times, 24 Aug 2008)

Throughout her career she has torn a rotator cuff, suffered tennis elbow and a swollen wrist and has tendinitis that prevents her from raising her right arm above her head. (LA Times, 24 Aug 2008)

Additional information

Start of sporting career
She started shooting at age 10 in the United States. (Athlete, 09 Mar 2000)

Reason for taking up this sport
Shooting was passed down from generation to generation in her family. (Athlete, 09 Mar 2000)

Training
She takes physical therapy for endurance and sees a nutritionist three days a week. She shoots 800-1,000 rounds a day. "I drill stations instead of shooting full rounds of skeet. " (eliteshooters.com, 25 Jul 2011)

Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning all of her four Olympic medals. (Athlete, 25 Apr 2012)

Most influential person in career
Her father. (Athlete, 25 Apr 2012)

Superstitions / Rituals
She always wears a jade turtle necklace around her neck. (INFO, 2000)

Sporting philosophy / motto
"It all comes down to the mental, the hand-eye coordination. And being able to do it 1,000 times." (LA Times, 24 Aug 2008)

Awards
She has been named USA Athlete of the Year several times, received the Victor Award and the Young Women's Country Association's Women of Achievement award. (Athlete, 09 Mar 2000)

She became the youngest female to win a gold medal in shooting when she triumphed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the women's double trap event. (sports-reference.com, 27 Jul 2011; hunting.about.com, 27 Jul 2011)

She was the youngest member of the US shooting team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. (hunting.about.com, 27 Jul 2011)

She is an honoury lifetime member of the National Rifle Association [NRA]. (usashooting, 27 Jul 2011)

She earned the US army distinguished shooter award after setting a new skeet world record at the 1995 World Championships in Cyprus. (proplayerconnect.com, 24 Aug 2008)

General
TRAGEDY
Her mother died when she was four years old. (pekin.net, 24 Aug 2000)

SHOTGUN DRAMA
Her shotgun was stolen in September 2008 while she was making a promotional appearance. She offered a $5,000 reward for the return of her shotgun, then in January 2009 she was told by police they had recovered the shotgun during the search of a parolee's home. "It's so good to have 'Old Faithful' back," Rhode said. "It's a wonderful day." Rhode said she was "totally floored" to get a call from police saying her shotgun, valued at between $20,000 and $35,000, had been found. "You think, 'Twenty years from now, I might get it back,'" she said. "I'm relieved to have it back and all that history wasn't demolished. I'm thankful I can pass it on to my kids." She has been competing with the shotgun for 18 years, winning Olympic gold, bronze and, most recently, silver at the Beijing Games. (AP, 30 Jan 2009)

TIME OFF
After her success at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, she took some time off from the sport. She did not return to competitive shooting until the 2006 United States national championships. (USA Shooting, 15 Jan 2008)

TV HOST
She is a co-host of the Outdoor Channel's 'Step Outside' programme. (outdoorchannel.com, 15 Jan 2008)

SWITCH
She specialised in double trap, an event which she won gold in both Sydney and Athens Olympic Games before the discipline was removed from the Olympic programme for Beijing. She switched to skeet shooting for Beijing where she finished second behind Chiara Cainero after a shoot-off between Rhode, Cainero and Christine Brinker. "It's like a diver going to swimming, it's totally different. It changes everything, from your gun to your mechanics." (sports-reference.com, 24 Aug 2008; LA Times, 24 Aug 2008)

DOCTOR'S ORDERS
Due to several injuries and medical conditions she had suffered she was advised by three different doctors to give up shooting when she was a teenager. (LA Times, 24 Aug 2008)

Previous Olympics

Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000, Atlanta 1996