USANA, word!: Team USANA signs Olympic athlete Paul Adams

Paul Adams is a successful clay target (skeet) shooter based in Queensland. USANA Australia is not only thrilled to welcome Paul to Team USANA but would also say congratulations for qualifying for the upcoming Rio Olympic Games.

Paul, who began shooting when was 10 years old with his grandfather and coach Ian Mathieson, said initially he was “completely scared to shoot, but once I had taken my first shot I was hooked and never looked back”.

Paul, who is ranked #1 nationally and #50 internationally*, stared in ISSF Skeet when he was 19. He had spent many years shooting other clay target disciplines but as he wanted to peruse an Olympic dream he chose skeet as it suited his skills he had learnt over the years.

In his career so far Paul has managed to qualify for many World Cup teams and World Championship teams and was selected for Commonwealth Games in 2014, after missing out on Olympics in 2012 after being ranked 3^rd where the top two spots were selected. This year, he managed an automatic selection to Rio after shooting the minimum score 122/125 and winning the last selection event. Paul said being selected for the Olympics is his career highlight so far.

Besides being a semi-professional athlete, Paul is a Registered Nurse Graduate and works in theatre at one of the local public hospitals. He also maintains a healthy, active lifestyle by going to the gym four times a week, focusing on strength and conditioning training, and also attends the shooting range three times a week.

Paul manages his busy schedule by “being very well prepared”.

“I manage shift times with the managers at work so I can balance work and sporting life so I can have the best of both worlds,” he said.

Paul said it’s important to stay focused and in order to succeed he follows the six rules of success

· Break some of the rules (not the law)

· Don’t listen to the nay Sayers

· Don’t be afraid to fail

· And always give back

In the short-term future Paul hopes to continue nursing and further his degree for a post-graduate diploma and then masters. He also hopes to enlist in the Air Force as a Nursing Officer and to shoot professionally for the Air Force. Long-term Paul thinks he will further his studies in medicine and work as a doctor, specialising in orthopaedics or plastic surgery.

With so much ambition and focus it seems Paul will continue to shoot high and USANA Australia looks forward to supporting him along the way. We wish him all the best at the upcoming Olympic Games.

*Rank as of May 2016.