YanXiao Gong was born in China and came to the United States at a young age. Shooting was a hobby for him as a kid, even though guns were illegal in China. He would get his grandparents to buy him BB guns, and he was fascinated by antique firearms and shooting in part because of old movies.
His family moved to California, and as a teenager in Malibu, Xiao decided to try surfing. But he severely injured his back on his first attempt. In recovery, shooting was one of the few things he enjoyed doing. Then he took up the sport competitively.
“It is the only sport that allows me the level of serenity and peace,” Xiao said. “Also I think shooting is the most precise sport, objectively. It requires the most precise control of your mind and body.”
Xiao now lives and trains at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He qualified for the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, and didn’t medal. The experience in Tokyo propelled him to success, though: He earned gold and bronze medals at the World Shooting Para Shooting Championships and the Parapan American Games in 2023. Xiao is heading to his second Paralympics seeking to add to his personal medal count.
