Right on Target

Prior to the 1992 Winter Olympics, while still a college student, Penn State Altoona Cross-Country Coach Doug Hoover read an article about a family in upstate New York who had built a biathlon range on their property on which their two sons could train and compete. Inspired by this story, Hoover entered his first summer biathlon race in the fall of 1992. Little did he know that this was the beginning of a journey that would lead him across the country, around the world, and ultimately to his first National Championship on that same range in upstate New York fourteen years later.

With its roots in Scandinavia and Finland, the sport of biathlon combines the disciplines of cross-country running or skiing and rifle marksmanship. Rock carvings in Norway dating from more than 4,000 years ago depict two men stalking animals on skis. Less as a means of personal survival and more as a form of national protection, biathlon played an integral role in military life from the 1700s on.

Throughout his high school and college years, Hoover was a runner. But he had little exposure to biathlon, other than watching the winter version of the sport during the Olympics. "I went into my first biathlon race in 1992 without any idea what I was doing. I used a borrowed rifle. But I was hooked immediately. The challenge of combining two very different disciplines was a lot of fun. It didn't hurt that I realized some success immediately. I found my calling in that first race," Hoover states.

After winning that first biathlon, Hoover's own athletic career was focused exclusively on the sport. The following year, he purchased an entry level rifle and began traveling throughout the northeast with his father, who served as his coach during that time. During the next three years, Hoover would win just two races and posted a 28th place finish in his first national championship. "I spent those first few years getting my butt kicked a lot. But I loved every minute of it. It was something Dad and I could enjoy together and we met a lot of great people in the sport who were eager to help and give advice," Hoover says.

In 1996, Hoover cracked the top ten at nationals for the first time and was named to the national team the following year. That opened up many new resources for Hoover, including top level coaching. "I had to scratch and claw my way onto the national team. And then, once I got there, I quickly realized how much further I had to go to get to the top of the podium at nationals. Every step along the way, it always seemed that the next step was even bigger than the one before."

During the next ten years, Hoover traveled across the country and around the world training and racing with the national team. "This sport has taken me to places that I never would have imagined going to otherwise. A few years ago, I took a gondola ride through Venice when I was in Italy for the World Championship. This year I went for a run in Lenin Park in Ufa, Russia. What an amazing experience this has been."

The journey that ultimately led to Russia was not without its speed bumps. After joining the national team, it was seven years before he finally qualified for his first World Championship in 2003. But the national title had still eluded him for more than a decade. "I tried and failed seven times to make the World Championship team. So finally making that squad in 2003 was a huge weight off my shoulders. But I still didn't have that national title. My best finish at nationals was a bronze in 2000. That was beginning to wear on me and I didn't know if it would ever happen."

Hoover described the beginning of his 2006 season as mediocre at best. "I was competing okay. My shooting was good, but my running was really struggling. So going into the National Championship and World Championship Trials, I just wanted to qualify for Worlds and then prepare for that. I had pretty much accepted that a national championship title would probably have to wait at least another year. I just wanted to go out and give a great effort and see what happened."

As it turned out, everything came together for Hoover a little earlier than planned. He emerged from this year's National Championship as the dominant performer. With his first national title in hand, Hoover once again led that United States team with a 19th place finish in the sprint race at the World Championship in Ufa, Russia in September. "This season gave me a lot of confidence, both as an athlete and as a coach. I write most of my own training these days and I don't treat myself much differently than the athletes I coach. At nationals, my running came around and my shooting continued to be strong. I'm living proof that persistence really does pay off."

"Having seen all that I have through this sport, I realize how blessed I am and how blessed every American is to live in this country. I wouldn't trade my experiences and the friendships I've made through this sport for anything. But I also really appreciate the family and friendships I have here at home," Hoover concludes.