NYC Olympians: Teen markswoman Sandy Fong

By Lizzy Nielsen, amNY.com | elizabeth.nielsen@am-ny.com

August 11, 2008

Sandy Fong, New Yorker who's the youngest member of the US Olympic Shooting team. (amNewYork Photo/ Elizabeth Nielsen / August 10, 2008)

At first glance, Sandy Fong seems like your average teenager. She's articulate and friendly, and her eyes sparkle with excitement when she talks about her first semester at Princeton in the fall.

Then you put a rifle in her hand.

At age 18, Fong is the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Shooting team. A native of New York City, she was encouraged by her dad to pick up a rifle about six years ago, and she hasn't looked back.

"It started out as a family hobby, and became a family sport. We turned out to be very good," Fong said.

It was a bit of an unorthodox sport for a 12-year-old city resident to start pursuing so aggressively, but Fong said she's grown to love it.

Fong is a natural competitor -- she and her sisters were first competitive swimmers, and now are Olympic-level riflewomen.

"I have two sisters, and we always competed in the same sports. Sibling rivalry, the competition just came out," Fong said.

Don't let her tender age fool you. Fong doesn't shy away from Olympic- level competition. In fact, competition is her favorite aspect of shooting.

"I'm doing a sport I love, so competing in it is probably the best part," said Fong, who will participate this week in the women's three-position rifle competition.

Despite Fong's love of the sport, she says she gets a bit nervous before an event.

"Yeah, you can kind of see me talking to myself on the line. I have a set playlist of music that I always listen to prior to competition," Fong said.

Regardless, Fong is pumped about her first crack at the Olympics.

"I'm really excited to just represent my country. And showcase all I've been working for and all I've done, and to go for the gold," Fong said.