Wild Shot

Book excerpt: Wild Shot is outwardly about the external physical demands of the winter sports of Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon. Author Andy Liebner discovers that sport is not just about training and competition; it’s a metaphor for a deeper aspect of life. Sport is a quest! To rise to the top requires a heroic journey to encounter and overcome external and internal barriers, and Andy runs into far more of them than you might think possible. The barriers are relentless. But he learns that his biggest enemy is inside his head and if he masters his fears then he wins. “Ever wondered what it would be like to compete at the highest levels of a sport? Now, image doing it without a support system of coaches, money, or a team. This is Andy Liebner’s story of how a young guy with a big dream decided to go it on his own against the biggest stars on the skiing and biathlon world circuit. While biathlon is not a sport most Americans recognize, the Europeans pour money into training facilities, gear and athlete development. With none of these advantages Andy sets out to train himself and take it to the Europeans on their home turf. His inspiration is both familiar and unique. While mental and physical training are key for many types of endurance sports, the shooting and skiing skills of Biathlon are special. The competitions are bare-knuckle shoot outs in some of the toughest weather and high mountain terrain. Andy’s journey is not an easy one and the challenges off the course often seem bigger than those encountered in competition. This exciting story couples the high speed twists and turns of a ski run with the human roller coaster of emotion.” – Janet Conway PhD.