Meet Hunter Battig | World Class Athlete

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hunter Battig and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hunter, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I feel like the activities that have most contributed to my athletic and personal success have been my habitual practices in being selective of who I place myself around and maintain relationships with. Placing myself around people who inspire creativity are the most beneficial to be around because the energy that is perceived is highly motivational and also builds trust within that relationship. I believe it be necessary to be located around fewer people that strive for more and devote a more positive energy towards their goal than to position myself around a larger number of people that aren’t pushing themselves and each other to reach for more in their craft.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Obtaining the position of Olympic alternate for the 2020(ne) Tokyo Games for 10 meter air pistol was an astounding accomplishment of mine. In a sport that warrants not only physical readiness, but a much stronger mental preparedness to succeed is what the sport consists of to succeed on a world stage. Travel has always been a larger interest of mine and being able to experience so many new cultures and diverse locations has gotten me excited to pursue and continue this sport. Circling back to the mental acuity necessary for Olympic marksmanship, this is the area that presents the largest obstacles. Self doubt, intense anxiety, and emotional ambiguity have always led to trouble and downfall in the sport but I always find a way to assure myself that I’m here for a reason, know what I’m doing, and am the most capable athlete in my mind. The most important things this journey has made me realize is that it may not be about what one knows, but more about who one knows. So often i see athletes talking behind their backs and getting so caught up in the social aspects of being on such a prestigious team that it makes me cherish and maintain the relationships that really matter and always keep an open mind when it comes to advice and progressing within this sport. Many of the people that are involved want to encourage achievement and success no matter who is taking home a medal however there are those individuals that aren’t so encouraging of seeing perhaps a younger athlete or someone else flourish.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
With all o the diversity that Colorado Springs has to offer, there are countless spots that I would want to take someone visiting for a week. Starting off with food, downtown has a plethora of refined options as well as classic eats. Some of my all time favorite places to grab a bite would be Four by Brother Luck, Jun Japanese restaurant for some sushi, and recently I have discovered Ambli in University Village and one of my favorite local shops over the past couple years has been KBop Korean Fusion Cafe with some of the most unique and creative dishes I’ve eaten. Some more frequent stops i might make would be Noodles and Company and and shop that delivers a nice sub. For views at night and even hikes in the day, i would bolt straight towards Gold Camp and Stage Coach road and the newer architecture at America the Beautiful park has transformed downtown with a high-perspective bridge and Weidner Field. If one i willing, the Great Sand Dunes National Park is mere hours away and i would love to take someone to the Vail area for the full Colorado experience involving the city life with the great outdoors this vast state has to offer.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Above all, family is a main source of support for me. My father has always put my efforts in Olympic style shooting above much else and attends my matches consistently and is always prideful and happy to watch me shoot. My mom has also inspired me to leave my all on the range each match and has helped me maintain relationships with athletes in Europe to diversify my influences! Recently, my girlfriend has been a leading supporter of not only my performance on the stage, but inspiring me to pursue creative practices such as photography and creative writing outside of the shooting world to maintain a healthier balance and keep my mental health strong. My coaches, Jason Turner and Brent McPherson have led the largest impact when it comes to the sport. Traveling across the world with me, inspiring me to get out of bed and send shots down the range each day, and never allowing me to doubt myself.

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