Kroc Staff Member's Quest for Olympic Gold
Daphne Garberoglio could not have imagined having this opportunity three years ago...
You may not know it by just looking at her, but Daphne Garberoglio is more than a crack shot with a rifle. This 17-year-old Kroc Staff Attendant on The Kroc Center’s Youth and Development team has dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal with her shooting skills. By taking first place at the Idaho State Olympic Qualifying Championships this winter, she has earned an invitation to compete at the Junior Olympic Rifle Championship for Rifle and Pistol in April 2024. The only thing that is stopping Gaberoglio are financial barriers to entry.Garberoglio’s goal is to raise $15,000 by the end of February for not only lodging and travel expenses, but to give her time to order the Olympic approved gear she needs to practice her sport ahead of her competition date this April.
“I need [International Shooting Sport Federation] (ISSF) standard equipment that meets the Jr. Olympic qualification standards,” Garberoglio said. “But thanks to my mom and dad, and the Coeur d’Alene rifle community, I have already raised $6,000.”
Garberoglio began her marksmanship journey just two years ago.
“I learned to shoot at a range off at Atlas in Coeur d’Alene,” she said. “I heard about their Friday night drop-in-and-shoot where volunteers teach kids as young as 8 about gun safety and shooting techniques. That’s where it started for me.”
From there, Garberoglio started shooting consistently. She enjoyed it so much that she joined a competitive 4-H team with a friend in January of 2022 and later formed another team consisting of some of the same members.
“For my first competition at the Idaho State Championship in 2022, it did not go well for me,” she said. “I had food poisoning, and these are timed matches mind you, but I had to throw my rifle down, puke, and run back to pick it up again. I placed 4th. I love the competition process.”
Tom Alapai, Garberoglio’s coach, has supported her from the beginning, not to mention the support she has received from her family.
“If there’s one person to thank for teaching me to shoot, it’s Tom,” Garberoglio said. “But I would not be here without my family. My mom has been so helpful. She even set up a MAKEACHAMP fundraising campaign for me. Also, my dad has shown up to every competition and every practice. He has forgone buying the new hunting rifle that he wants for about two years now to buy me rifles and equipment. And someday I will get him that rifle!”
For Garberoglio, this is just the start. From not knowing a single thing about shooting just three years ago, to experiencing the thrill of competing at the highest (local) level, Garberoglio said that she sees a future in this sport.
“This will open a lot of doors for me,” she said. “I want to go to school to become a youth developmental psychologist. Affording tuition to go to college will be tough, so I’m hoping to get an athletic scholarship.”
Click HERE to support Garberoglio financially in her quest for Olympic gold.