New York National Guard Soldier skis, shoots in biathlon competition

New York National Guard Soldier skis, shoots in biathlon competition – You ski as fast as you can over several kilometers of rough terrain with a .22 caliber rifle strapped on your back; then steady that rifle — controlling your labored breathing and heart rate and shaky legs in mind-numbing cold that freezes your fingers and face. Then you must fire five shots to hit targets the size of 50-cent pieces, 50 meters away. For the New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Brian O’Keefe, and Soldier athletes like him, this is the biathlon.