Mia Lee ’26 is heading to the 2025 Rifle and Pistol National Junior Olympics in Alabama, April 13-18, where she has secured a first-round invitation to compete in the women’s 10-meter air rifle championship. After competing in Junior Olympics for the past seven years, this is her final year of eligibility.
The Hofstra biochemistry major and ROTC cadet from Boston, MA, fell in love with the precision and focus that her sport requires. Her interest was sparked when she was just 8 years old and began accompanying her father to the rifle range.
From there, Lee started her own training. At the age of 12, another young athlete suggested that she join the Taunton Rifle and Pistol Club, which prepares its members for competition.
Lee’s nerves got in the way the first year she participated in the Junior Olympic Qualifiers. “I was so nervous that I dropped my bullets on the ground. I didn’t make it past the first round, but that experience made me determined to do better the following year.”
Lee continued to practice and qualified for her first Junior Olympics in 2018 in the .22 smallbore rifle competition at U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, and placed second in her division.
Concentration, Lee says, is just as vital to marksmanship as physical strength and stamina. In 2024’s Junior Olympics, her focus was compromised by a wardrobe malfunction.
“We have suits made out of canvas and leather, and the material helps keep you steady. When I got to the competition, the zippers on the legs of my pants broke.”
Lucas Kozeniesky, a 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist in mixed team air rifle, stepped in when he noticed Lee’s dilemma.
“He pulled me off the line at practice and lent me a pair of his pants for the entire competition,” Lee remembers with a smile.
Lee says her dedication to her sport has helped build her confidence and aim for success in all parts of her life.
“I don’t train regularly, but I’m still able to shoot capably. That’s because so much of the skill is about mental preparation. If you have confidence in your ability and trust yourself, you’ll do so much better. This positive mindset helps me a lot in class and ROTC.”
After graduation and commissioning, Lee plans to go into active duty, serving in either the U.S. Army Chemical Corps or the Medical Service Corps. Her dream is to one day train and compete with the elite Army Marksmanship Unit.
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