SAN ANTONIO – A team of wounded warriors with Paralympic dreams honed their shooting skills Friday at the Air Rifle Camp at Lee High School.
Former Marine Marco de la Rosa competed in the Paralympic games in Rio de Janeiro last year. A memory he won't soon forget.
"I went down there and represented the United States filled with pride. Not only that, but I'm representing San Antonio veterans. I'm one of them."
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De la Rosa, who paralyzed from the waist down after he was shot trying to stop a robbery in 1993, is setting his eyes on the Paralympic games in Tokyo in 2020. He's looking for a few wounded warriors who were at the range Friday to join him.
"There are a lot of good shots, so we open it up to them to see if they can make it on the national team," he said.
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De la Rosa remembers what started out as a game at the VA recreational center turned into a passion for him.
"We started off by messing around. The pistol was there, we started shooting, he said. "Whoever gets the most shots in the black wins. The loser had to buy coffee for everybody."
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De la Rosa said the Paralympic experience has helped him move on in life, but it also reminded him why he wanted to serve in the Marines.
"It's a brotherhood. You come out. It feels like you're back in. You miss your brothers," he said.
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