Kim Rhode Sets New Olympic Record
Safari Club International 07.30.12
Through London’s rain and lightning, U.S. Olympian Kim Rhode became the first U.S. athlete to win five medals in five consecutive Olympic games, and also broke an Olympic record of shooting 99 out of 100 targets. This historic accomplishment was triggered when Kim won the gold medal in Women’s Skeet.
“The hunting and shooting community is reveling in Kim’s astounding accomplishment from this weekend’s Olympic Skeet Shooting gold medal performance,” said SCI president John Whipple. “Not only did Kim set an Olympic record of shooting 99 out of 100, she also is the first American athlete to win a medal in five consecutive Olympic Games. She embodies the excellence of an Olympic legend.”
“SCI is proud to sponsor Kim Rhode during her historic win. Her performance definitely puts women’s skeet on the map for the general public to fully appreciate. Thank you to Kim for being a true ambassador for the sport,” concluded Whipple.
Protecting hunters’ rights and promoting wildlife conservation, SCI’s two areas of focus, historically has been the interest of hundreds of individuals long before SCI was established. But how did SCI as an organization begin?
Forty years ago, there were many safari clubs across the country made up of local, unaffiliated groups of hunters. One such was Safari Club of Los Angeles, which was formed in April 1971 by forty-seven individuals. In early 1972, an out-of-towner from a similar club in Chicago attended one of the monthly Wednesday night meetings, and it was decided that the L.A. club should attempt to combine with the one in Chicago to make it an affiliated chapter. The founder of Safari Club of Los Angeles, C.J. McElroy, went to the Windy City and instituted the new chapter.
Eleven months after the formation of Safari Club of Los Angeles, on March 9, 1972, the name was changed officially to Safari Club International. SCI continued to reach out to other independent safari clubs throughout the United States in an effort to combine them into a single overall organization.
Today, interest in SCI’s two primary missions has grown a worldwide network. Subsequent involvement and promotion of these missions is rooted in each of our 55,000 members, supported through each of our 190 membership chapters found across the globe, and put into action by government representatives and personnel both nationally and internationally.
In this way, we can encourage an appreciation for nature and wildlife so that conservation efforts remain strong, while also fighting to protect our rich hunting heritage. Big changes can be achieved through the endeavors of many who are united in a mission – the mission of Safari Club International.
