Georgia Teen Competes with Rifle Team Despite Disability

16-year-old Kelsey Moral from Sharpsburg, Georgia looks like any other teenage precision air rifle shooter. But unlike most teen shooters, Kelsey has cerebral palsy. For Kelsey the pain has always been there, and therapy has always been a way of life. “I was born with a mild case of spastic cerebral palsy,” Kelsey says. About 80% of the approximately 800,000 CP sufferers in the US fall into Kelsey’s type, known as spastic diplegia, which primarily affects leg muscles.

Kelsey’s condition is characterized by having one or more tight muscle groups which limit movement. That’s why she walks with a limp and has difficulty getting into and out of shooting positions. “Prior to joining the [East Coweta HS JROTC] rifle team, she would never tell anyone what her disability was,” Kelsey’s mother Janice said. “By no means is CP going to get the best of me,” Kelsey said emphatically. “Thankfully, it only affects my legs,” Kelsey explained. “Because of my CP, I have had some hurdles to overcome. Some days my legs hurt so bad, I can hardly stand it – other days they’re okay.”

Kelsey’s first appearance in a big match came in February at the Marine Corps JROTC Championship at Camp Perry. Though she finished in the middle of the pack, she scored second highest on her high school team in the postal qualifier leading up to the Service Championship, scoring 277 out of a possible 300 in Three-Position Air Rifle (3PAR).

Kelsy Moral (center) with mother Janice (right) and USMC coach Msgt Joel Skinner (left).

Kneeling Position is a Challenge
The MCJROTC Service Championship marked the first time Kelsey was able to get into the kneeling position for an important match. Though she cannot completely flex her legs, Kelsey was able to achieve a stable position and fire the match. “Because of my muscle tone, I have not been able to kneel. So for about a year I shot standing twice. One day I decided that I really wanted to kneel like everyone else. Some days I can’t kneel at all; my legs just won’t let me. I’m in physical therapy and I work hard everyday with exercises to help me kneel more comfortably. Sometimes I worry that I’ll fall over because I feel unstable.”

Kelsey’s coach, USMC MSGT Joel Skinner, is proud of Kelsey’s remarkable progress: “She is a really determined young lady and continues to improve at every match.” Kelly explained: “Coach Skinner has helped me a lot to stabilize myself while kneeling – I have a long way to go, but I work everyday at it. I strive to shoot in every match possible as I know this only builds my experience and my strength. Being on the rifle team has been great, because it has built my confidence up – I like being part of a team.”

Original Report by Steven Cooper for ODCMP.com | CLICK HERE to Read More…