On Aug. 3-5, Gunnison native and Paralympic shooter Landon Ruggera won gold in the R3 Air Rifle category and Bronze in the R6 Smallbore .22 category at the 4th annual International Arequipa Grand Prix in Peru.
Ruggera’s top finish marks his second international medal and his first gold. In addition to earning first, he also broke the International Americas record for his final total score of 253.6 in the R3 category.
After graduating from Gunnison High School in 2022, Ruggera began competing at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and quickly shined on the USA Paralympic Shooting Futures Team. Soon after, he joined the USA National Team, and competed alongside the best Paralympic shooters in the nation
“[My goal is to qualify for the] LA Paralympics in 2028,” Ruggera said. “It would be really cool to medal on home turf.”
Ruggera was born with Spina Bifida, and despite being paralyzed from the knees down, is able to shoot in either a modified prone position or sitting up in his wheelchair. Ruggera’s shooting journey began at just 5 years old, and has now transformed his life and propelled him into international competition.
Ruggera and the USA National Team are now preparing to compete in the United Arab Emirates in the Al Ain 2025 WSPS Cup. He has previously competed globally in South Korea and Peru, in addition to across the United States.
“[My favorite category] is Smallbore, so .22 long rifle just because of how ridiculously difficult it is.” Ruggera said. “We're trying to put a quarter inch size projectile into a 0.2 inch X ring.”
(Evan Bjornstad can be contacted at 970.641.1414.)
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