LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Rich Johnson was nominated by a student. 

"During my freshman year of high school, I made one of the best decisions of my life: joining a trap shooting team. I have only tried it a couple of times, but I thought it would be fun to try something new after my lost interest in soccer. I quickly discovered this was a sport meant for me," said the student.

"Trap shooting is where someone will stand in a designated spot and use a shotgun to try and shoot orange, clay, frisbee-looking disks called clay pigeons. It may appear easy, but there are an infinite amount of aspects to take into account to break every bird."

"I was not terrible when I started shooting, but I needed some coaching. I remember the first day of practice when coach Rich Johnson walked up to me and gave me pointers to improve my shooting."

"'You should stand like this in the first station,' he demonstrated, 'and don't look at the bead. Otherwise, you will start to aim at the bird, which will make you miss it.'"

"I listened intently to everything he said, and after trying out his advice, my scores began to climb. Coach Rich had a way of describing things that just clicked in my brain," said the student.

"Not only does he describe things extremely well, but Coach Rich also has an outgoing personality that makes learning and shooting with him a blast. His way of teaching in a fun and engaging way has truly made an impact on my learning and trap shooting skills."

"Coach Rich gave me the best advice and life lessons I have ever received—and I plan to carry and share that advice throughout my trap shooting career and beyond. I hope that Rich knows how much his valuable advice means to me and has helped me to become a better trap shooter and person," said the student.