It's finally here – the moment we've looked forward to for the past four years: THE OLYMPICS! This is by far the grandest event for American sport shooters, and a chance for our athletes to get some great international exposure, grab the headlines and enjoy their "15 minutes of fame" on the biggest sports stage in the world.

I have a strong feeling that we'll be seeing many of our shooters on the medal stands over the next couple weeks, and so today's blog is going to give you some more "inside info" about those shooters. Stuff you can't learn just anywhere. Commit this stuff to memory, and then impress your friends and family with these tidbits as you are watching our shooters collect their medals ... 

Trap shooter Bret Erickson nearly died just before the last Olympic Games. Shortly after he qualified for the 2004 U.S. Team, he was on a training run with his teammates when his heart stopped.  His teammates were able to get his heart going again, and doctors installed a pacemaker. Just four weeks after that, Bret shot in the Athens games.

Skeet shooter Vincent Hancock just got married. His new wife, Rebekah, is studying to be a nurse – something Vincent also plans to do after he retires from competitive shooting (something that is WAY down the road). And by the way, don't call him Vince. That's the one form of his name he doesn't like. It's either Vincent or Vinnie.

Trap shooter Corey Cogdell is perhaps the most diverse shooter you'll ever meet. Besides being an avid hunter and fisher, the Alaska native is a self-described "girly-girl" who owns more than 50 pairs of shoes. She also loves cooking, and actually worked for two years as an assistant chef for a cooking school, and then traveled to Italy just to study how to prepare authentic Italian food. Not diverse enough for you? She also calls herself a "gear head" who likes to work on old cars (mainly Jeeps and Mustangs) and in her spare time (is there any left?), she rides motorcycles, rock climbs and goes downhill skiing.

Speaking of diverse, rifle shooter Sandra Fong once won her school's science fair, and she spends a lot of time in performance art, writing and directing plays. She also plays the trumpet and sings with her school jazz band. The 18-year-old New York, New York native is heading to Princeton this fall where she will major in theater and the history of jazz.

Rifle shooter Jamie Beyerle is a terrific all-around athlete who also excels academically. She played high school basketball, softball and soccer, and she was also a junior National Champion in BB gun. AND she was also a member of the National Honor Society.

Speaking of athletic skills outside of shooting, rifle shooter Matt Emmons – the reigning gold medalist in the 50-meter prone event – once pitched a perfect game in high school baseball. His interests go beyond sports as well: Matt bought a guitar a couple years ago and is teaching himself how to play, no doubt entertaining his new wife, Katy, with his performances. Matt's a very bright guy – in fact, he has already earned a college degree in management and finance from Colorado University, Colorado Springs campus.

Double Trap shooter Glen Eller, a strong contender to win a medal, was a high school pole vaulter. It's fitting because he's about as tall and skinny as a pole vault. (I tease him about that all the time.)

Eller's double-trap teammate, Jeff Holguin, also played sports his whole life (mainly baseball), and he is a huge college football fan. Jeff's loyalties are tied strongly to his Southern California home: He's a die-hard USC Trojan fan.

Rapid Fire Pistol shooter Keith Sanderson and rifle shooter Michael Anti both love fast cars. Sanderson owns a Porsche 911 and likes to tinker with amateur racing. Anti owns a silver Corvette – which he bought for himself as a reward for winning a silver medal in the 3-position event in the 2004 Olympics. Get it – silver and silver? He claims the color was a coincidence ... but he says his plan is to buy a gold Corvette after the upcoming games ... if he wins the gold.

Rifle shooter Jason Parker has a "secret weapon" when it comes to being mentally strong as a competitor: He has a college degree in Psychology from Xavier University.

How about some tidbits on the pistol shooters? Brenda Shinn is a lieutenant in the Riverside County (CA) sheriff's department. Beki Snyder has a black belt in tae-kwon-do. Brian Beaman is big into archery. Jason Turner plays softball and golfs when he's not shooting. And Libby Callahan, at 56 the oldest Olympian, is retired from the Washington D.C. police force, where she was a lieutenant – and a five-time women's police revolver champion.

So there you have it – share these insights with friends and family while watching the games ... make 'em believe you are an expert on the USA Olympic Shooting Team! See you next time ...