19-year-old sets Sights on Olympics

LYNN – When it comes to sports, most Americans think of the traditional baseball, football, track or soccer.But for Lynner Olivia “Livie” Fabrizio, 19, her father, Robert, influenced her hobby of target shooting – so much that she has been invited into the Junior Olympics (JO) training center in Colorado April 17 to 21. She shoots at electronic or paper dart-like targets.?I was chosen for my skillset,” Olivia Fabrizio said. “My shooting was well enough in order to make it. Ever since I began shooting four years ago, my goal was to qualify for the JO.”This honor especially means more to her since she was rear-ended during a car accident, going around the rotary at Lynnfield?s Goodwin Circle, Aug. 26, 2014, suffering from whiplash.?I couldn?t move my neck – I wore a neck brace,” Olivia Fabrizio said. “I also couldn?t shoot for two to three months, which is the longest I?ve gone without shooting. I had to relearn how to shoot.”She lost ample strength, where she couldn?t even open a water bottle on her own, and it drained her so much mentally that she couldn?t sleep at night.Part of an advanced group, she is a level 1 certified coach to train beginners with her coach, Maureen Trickett, at Reading Rifle and Revolver.?She?s been working hard, and it paid off.” Trickett said. “The other two members who advanced to JO are: Abby Monique, 16, of Framingham, and Joseph Kajander, 16, of Reading. It?s a great sport, but you have to be adult-like about it. Players are held to a higher standard, because their parents require a license to carry firearms. Police also conduct a criminal background check to ensure they?re responsible and have a clean record.”Fabrizio cited Trickett as her second mom and noted if it wasn?t for her guidance, she?d have something missing in her life.Similar to traditional training regimes, Fabrizio has to work out regularly.?Other sports are easy compared to this,” Olivia Fabrizio said. “I played lacrosse and soccer at St. Mary?s High School. But you have to stand in one spot for two hours and can?t move your feet. Aiming at that target requires a steady body balance.”But unlike soccer and lacrosse, it?s not about how fast she can run. Instead, it?s about precise mental ability. She does strength training, as any slight movement will hinder the accuracy of shooting at the central target. The suit and gun are also heavy.?It takes a lot of stamina,” Olivia Fabrizio said. “You have to hold your breathe for long periods of time. According to Trickett, the shooting range is 50 feet.Her mother, Cheryl, and father, Robert, are both proud of her comeback after the accident and her dedication to the sport.Robert Fabrizio said, “I had been a recreational shooter for years but gave it up when my children were young,” he said. “When I got back into it, Livie showed an interest, so I took her to my club, The Mass Rifle Association in Woburn. She joined the junior program, which taught her the basics of rifle shooting and safety. She did well enough that she was asked to join the junior team to shoot competitively.”Cheryl Fabrizio noted her expertise has allowed her to tour the country.?She goes with a traveling team, the Massachusetts Rifle Rebels, all over New England and to Georgia, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Georgia,” Cheryl Fabrizio said. “We?re very proud of her. It took her a lot of hard work to make it to the JO?s and how she had to fight back from the accident.”Tara Vocino may be reached at [email protected].