Georgia Teen Coping With Physical Challenge in Precision Air Rifle

CAMP PERRY, OHIO - Kelsey Moral looks like any other teenager, except maybe for the funky multi-colored canvas suit, ear plugs and flat boots. Okay, she looks like any other teenage precision air rifle shooter, and that's just fine with her - in fact that's exactly how she wants it.
 

Kelsey's coach, USMC MSGT Joel Skinner, Kelsey, and her mom, Janice, at the 2010 USMC Service Championship.

The red-haired 16-year-old junior at East Coweta High School in Sharpsburg, Georgia, also enjoys photography, working with her dogs, traveling from state to state to competitions and buzzing her grandparents' lawn on their zero-turn mower.

Unlike most teen shooters, Kelsey is dealing with a physical challenge that's similar to that of an injured athlete who is rehabilitating from ACL surgery. But in her case 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. While the words cerebral palsy evoke images of wheelchair-bound youngsters, the reality is about 80 percent of the approximately 800,000 CP sufferers in the US fall into Kelsey's type, known as spastic diplegia, which primarily affects leg muscles.

According to the National Institutes of Health, cerebral palsy doesn’t always cause profound disabilities. While one child with severe cerebral palsy might be unable to walk and need extensive lifelong care, another with mild CP might be only slightly affected and require no special assistance.

Kelsey’s condition is characterized by having one or more tight muscle groups which can limit movement and it's why she walks with a limp and sometimes has difficulty getting into and out of shooting positions.

“Prior to joining the rifle team, she would never tell anyone what her disability was,” Kelsey’s mom Janice said. “Once she made the team, she soon felt comfortable with her disability. It’s small compared to what it could be, and now she tells people she has CP.”

“Competitive shooting has given Kelsey an opportunity to take her mind off CP and the courage to talk about it,” her mom says.

“When I asked her how she would like to explain her situation for this story, she said ‘I want to tell the truth, I have mild spastic CP - no big deal Mom!’”

“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.”

Cerebral palsy isn’t a disease. It isn’t contagious and it can’t be passed from one generation to the next. There is no known cure for CP, but supportive treatments, medications and surgery can help many individuals improve their motor skills.

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).

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. Kelsey had only been practicing kneeling two months prior to 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, says he's proud of Kelsey's remarkable progress since joining the team. "She is a really determined young lady and continues to improve at every match," he said.

Her mom said Coach Skinner has been very patient in working with Kelsey and he motivates her on a daily basis.

“I shoot in every match I can – I strive to shoot in every match possible as I know this only builds my experience and my strength,” she said.

“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.”

“Being on the rifle team has been one of the greatest things I’ve seen happen to Kelsey,” Janice said. “She has blossomed. It’s built her self confidence, her self esteem and now I see pride in her."

“When school is out for the winter or Christmas break she has her grand-dad drive her to the school everyday in hopes that Coach Skinner will be there so she can practice.”

“She absolutely lives for that rifle team and she strives to keep her grades up so she can remain on the team,” Janice added.

Kelsey’s entrance to shooting happened by chance when she accompanied her mom to the pistol range and as fate would have it, Kelsey has become the primary shooter in the family and mom accompanies her to matches near and far away from home.|

“I got interested in shooting with my mom. I wanted to shoot her 9mm and she let me! After practice we looked at the targets and she told me that I was a great shot and I should think about trying out for the rifle team at school, so I did!”

Kelsey said she really enjoys being on the East Coweta team – one of the most competitive JROTC teams in the nation.

“Being on the rifle team has been great, because it has built my confidence up – I like being part of a team,” she added.

“There are days that she comes out of practice in real pain,” Janice said. “I can tell by her face when she walks outside, however; she waits until she opens the door of the truck to show any emotion.”

Movement is good for her, Kelsey says. “I do exercises daily and go to therapy twice a week. It’s painful but I know it helps.”

“She’s been in riflery for about one and a half years and not once has she wanted to quit or even take a break – it has made her one determined young lady,” Janice said.

“Kelsey is a delightful young lady and I’m very proud to be her mother,” Janice said. “It’s just overwhelming to try and explain what shooting has done for her – how it’s helped her overcome her disability and how it’s given her the determination and ambition to succeed in it. I truly can’t find the words to tell how it’s helped her.”

“Kelsey is a delightful young lady and I’m very proud to be her mother,” Janice said. “It’s just overwhelming to try and explain what shooting has done for her – how it’s helped her overcome her disability and how it’s given her the determination and ambition to succeed in it. I truly can’t find the words to tell how it’s helped her.”

It’s Kelsey’s intention to shoot for a college program after high school, and given her determination and progress to date, she’s headed in the right direction.

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