Refuge Manager at Region 3's Middle Mississippi River NWR Earns Spot on
U.S. Olympic Team
 |
John
Magera
– USFWS photo |
You can add "Olympian" next to John Magera's title of Refuge Manager at Region 3's Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois. A little more than a year after competing in his first bow tournament, Magera will represent the United States in the 2004 Summer Olympics as a member of the U.S. Olympic Archery Team. Magera was named to the team June 19 after finishing third at the Olympic Archery Team Trials held June 15-19 in Mason, Ohio.
Magera's third place finish was a big surprise to himself and to the established ranks of the U.S. archery community, who watched a relative novice out-shoot numerous world-ranked archers, including three former Olympians. "My only goal was to get into the top 16 and if I did that, I would've been completely happy going home," said Magera. "In the back of my mind, I thought I might be able to make the top eight, but never expected this. I don't think it's really sunk in yet that I am actually on the Olympic Team."
Magera will join 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Vic Wunderle of Mason City, Ill., and three-time Olympian Butch Johnson of Woodstock, Conn., on the men's team. John's wife Karin, a Park Ranger at Crab Orchard NWR, will also travel to Athens to watch her husband compete. "I knew John was certainly capable of doing well in tournaments, but to be doing well enough to compete in the Olympics is great," said Karin "We're going to have a little cheering section for him."
Karin said "life's been a blur" since John returned from Ohio
June 23. He was promptly interviewed by two television stations,
a newspaper and by ESPN.com. Mary Beth Vorwerk, public relations
director for the National Archery Association, said, "John Magera
was the big surprise of the trials. I told him that he better
get used to doing media interviews. His is such a great story."
 Magera, a Texas native, competed in his first-ever international competition July 13-17 at the European Grand Prix in Antalya, Turkey. "It was a great experience even though I didn't do as well as I had hoped I would (tied for 28th place out of 107 archers) Magera said, "But, my coach and team mates said that was pretty darn good for my first time in an international competition."
The 11-day Olympics begin August 13 in Athens. Archery competition runs from August 15-21.
And, with a little luck and a keen aim, he'll be able to add "medalist" to his growing list of titles.
Archery Team Embraces Newcomer Magera >>
– Scott Flaherty, Region 3 Public Affairs
612-713-5309
|
