EDITOR's (Personal) NOTE: Today's feature is news in the world of Olympic shooting, and it diminishes our team. But it's not bad news, either. For several years, I've enjoyed watching our reigning Olympic gold medalist Jamie (Beyerle) Gray as she's matured as a shooter, excelled as a competitor, and encouraged her teammates with a ready smile and terrific work ethic. At the same time, Jamie occasionally appeared to be struggling physically. Today, Olympic Shooting's Kevin Neuendorf reports that Jamie's retiring from competition due to her nagging back problems. We're saddened at the news, as her absence leaves a hole in our Olympic team. But we're happy at Jamie's realization that being the reigning Olympic champ is definitely the best time to move on. Honestly, I hope we'll have more news about Jamie in the future. I think she has the ability to coach and serves as a great role model for our future Olympians.

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There comes a time in every elite athlete's life where they eventually succumb to the pain they place upon their body to perform the sport they love. Today is that day for reigning Olympic gold medalist Jamie (Beyerle) Gray (Lebanon, Pennsylvania) as she reluctantly retires from her competitive rifle career.

No doubt that the gold medal she earned in London helped make the decision a little bit easier as did the new life she's building in Kalispell, Montana. But more than that, Gray wasn't willing to forego her long-term health for the opportunity to continue shooting.

Since 2010, Gray has tolerated a lower back that was unbearable at times and something that worsened each time she put in the training time necessary to compete at the very best. Simply put, her back could no longer bear the brunt and it told her so every time she tried.

"It has taken a toll on my body, mind and life since," Gray acknowledged. "At the Olympics, I had three injections in my back after the air rifle match, which allowed me to be successful in smallbore."

USA Shooting Team Physiologist Cathy Arnot described the condition like this: "She essentially has the wear-and-tear on her spine that could be expected of a 70-year-old woman."

The severe pain and discomfort in her back began at the 2010 World Championships and has been with her every time she trains and competes. Arnot describes the injury as a degeneration of the facet joints located on both sides of the vertebrae. An MRI taken during the Olympic Games showed tearing and degeneration of the cartilage along several facet joints and a bulging disc. Just prior to her gold-medal performance in London, she received a cortisone injection without any anesthesia, at Jamie's request, to relieve the pain.

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She took a year off after London in hopes the rest would rectify the problem. But when she started picking up the gun again last October, the pain returned. For the first time, she was left to contemplate whether all the pain experienced over the past three years was worth it. Not only was the pain taxing on her body, but on her mind as well.

The orthopedists and neurologists that evaluated her came to the consensus that if she continued to compete, that the degeneration would continue to worsen, leading to daily pain and early arthritis of the spine. According to Arnot, her only alternative was a surgical fusion of her spine, but with no guarantee she'd be able to realistically compete afterwards.

"With this injury came everyday pain and the scare of never living life without pain again, which I am not willing to do," she said. "I am a very active person and want to be able to do active things with my family for many years to come."

"Jamie is one of the toughest competitors I have known in 23 years as a sport psychologist at the USOC," said U.S. Olympic Committee Sport Psychologist Sean McCann. "Her toughness will be useful now as well. Ending an Olympic career early due to injury is one of the most difficult challenges an elite athlete faces, and it is especially hard if you know you are one of the best in the world. Although Jamie accomplished so much in her career, she had much more left in the tank, and it is very tough to leave a competitive life when you love competition as much as Jamie. All retiring Olympic athletes miss the focus, intensity and single minded-purpose of the athlete's life. The challenge for Olympians in transition is harnessing their drive and talents to succeed in a post-athlete career."

Competing as an Olympic athlete and earning an Olympic gold medal in London has provided Gray with unmatched perspective in terms of what the shooting sports has provided her. What began as a way to connect with her older brother, turned into a life-long love affair with a game that demands perfection, mental fortitude and the incessant need to educate the masses about a sport limited by its exposure, but yet driven by a passionate following.

"This sport has been part of my life since a very young age and has taught me so much," Gray said. "USA Shooting has showed me immense support since I was 17, and I learned there is more to the Olympic movement than just the athletes. I have made shooting into a career and couldn't have done that without the support of USA Shooting."

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Collegiate teammate and best friend Matt Emmons, a three-time Olympic medalist, says for all that the sport has given her, she too has played a part in giving back to the sport and he's filled not with sadness today, but with joy and happiness.

"Jamie would tell you that she wasn't the most talented shooter, but she was super motivated, focused, and worked harder than just about anyone," he admits. "Over the years, she sacrificed a lot to make her dream come true. If I say 'I'm happy for her,' it's because of these two reasons: first, her dream did come true. Even with injury, she lived the experience almost all athletes dream about - to go the Olympics, have the best competition of your life, and win a gold medal. She did that and I am so happy I was there to watch it happen. Next, I'm happy because now that she's retired, she will be able to enjoy some of the things she sacrificed for that dream. Jamie's absolutely not a one-dimensional person and she has plenty of other goals and interests. I'm excited to see her turn the page and start writing that next chapter in life."

There's much more about Jamie and what she's meant to the sport. Please continue reading about her career by clicking here:
http://www.usashooting.org/news/2014/4/16/512-injury-forces-olympic-gold-medalist-jamie-beyerle-gray-to-retire