One needs to think more than twice before messing around with shooter Jethro Dionisio. With six world championship titles under his belt, Jethro has surely made it clear that his name is not something to be scoffed at.
At 14, when boys of his age kept themselves busy by burning their fingers playing computer games, Dionisio opted to fire guns at the shooting range instead.
Jethro’s first encounter with the world of shooting was through his father, Joe Dionisio, who was then the president of the Metro Gun Club. Before the speed shooter that Jethro is at present, he first started by accompanying his father and carrying his bags during practice.
Three months after his father decided to give him a shot at Practical Shooting, Jethro joined his first competition in Nueva Ecija where he landed in the top 15 out of a field of 300. Practical Shooting involves competitors entering different scenarios, like houses or cars, and shooting random targets.
After a brilliant debut performance, Jethro continued to hone his shooting skills, training intensively four times a week.
Because of Jethro’s tight training schedule, he seldom had the chance to hang out with his friends during his five-year stay at the University, 1989-1994, where he earned an Accountancy degree.
“After class, hindi na rin ako nakakatambay kasi I had to train kaagad,” he said.
He recalled how his fondness for the sport stretched even to the point where, even while studying at home, a holster with a gun was still strapped around his waist.
Aside from his training at the shooting range, Jethro also had to undergo rigorous physical exercises, like jogging, to keep his reflexes in shape.
He also crosstrained in other sports like swimming, kick-boxing, horseback riding, and badminton.
Firing his shot
After four years of competing and topping national shooting tournaments, his first big break came when he won his first international title in 1990 by topping the 10th World Speed Shooting Championships (WSSC) in California, USA, at age 18.
Aside from the feat of edging other top-caliber athletes from other countries, Jethro, whose name means “to be great”, was the first non-American to win the annual competition. He outclassed a field of 275 top-class shooters.
Victory followed every victory for Jethro as he successfully defended his title in the WSSC for three consecutive years.
Jethro added more feathers to his cap by winning the World Shoot Off Championship (WSOC) in Colorado for three consecutive years, thereby raking in six world championships.
In a shoot off tournament, participants compete side-by-side shooting steel targets
In 1996, USA’s Gungames magazine considered him as the “fastest steel shooter alive.”
After his three-year reign in the WSOC, Jethro’s second big break came when he placed third at the International Practical Shooting Confederation Tournament in America where 500 shooters representing 44 countries participated.
After more than a decade of practical shooting, Jethro decided to shift to trap shooting in 2000.
In trap shooting, competitors use a shotgun to fire at flying clay birds that are four inches in diameter moving 75 miles per hour at different directions.
Jethro’s first recognition in the field of trap shooting came in 2001 when he grabbed the silver in the 11th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur. The gold medal slipped by a hairline from Jethro’s hands as a Singaporean shooter beat him by a measly one point, 113-114.
After a year, Jethro grabbed the silver in the 2002 Asian Clay Championships in Bangkok, Thailand. He also pocketed the bronze in the Asian Games in Busan, Korea, in the same year.
Jethro also got the prestigious honor of representing the country in trap shooting in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
But luck shied away from Jethro’s range as he failed to take home a medal. Jethro was off to a fair start in his first set where he missed only one bird but he slumped the next round, missing three.
Jethro posted scores of 24, 20, 23 to rank 32nd in the event.
Missing the target
But like any athlete, Jethro also had his share of misfortunes during his early years as a shooter.
“Tatlong beses nangyari sa akin na nadulas ako habang nagcocompete dahil basa ‘yung lupa sa ulan, at nagpoint ‘yung handgun ko sa audience at nadisqualify ako, “ Jethro narrated.
“Madadaanan mo naman talaga ang mga trials. If you want to excel sa ginagawa mo mayroong mga times na talagang pahihirapan ka muna and you really have to work hard for it, “ he added.
Jethro also expressed his gratefulness to the University for its support.
“UST was very helpful during those days. Lalo na kapag nagaabroad ako for tournaments, pinagbibigyan ako with the schedules, “ he said.
The apparent lack of support from the government toward athletes, however, did not fail to escape Jethro’s attention.
“Kulang talaga. Kung ikukumpara mo with other countries talagang kulang na kulang sa exposures ang mga athletes dito, “ Jethro lamented.
But still, Jethro takes the situation in stride.
“Crisis ngayon at siguro marami lang silang pinag-uukulan ng funds, kaysa sa sports,” he said.
Reloading for next round
As different trophies are stacked up in Jethro’s locker, all that is in his aim right now is to take home a medal for trap shooting in the next Olympics.
“Up to now, I’m still learning and hopefully in the coming years mag-improve pa ako,” he said.
As he is sharpening his aim for his next goal, Jethro said the University also in a way armed him with the right pistol and ammo for his career.
“Nakatulong ng malaki ‘yung disiplina na tinuro sa akin sa UST, “ he explained.
Aside from discipline, he confessed that hard work, patience and devotion to the Lord are all key ingredients for success in any career.
“Aside from discipline, you have to be patient while studying because success is not earned overnight,” he added.
With his gun aimed at a medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there could be no stopping Jethro from pursing the goal set by his name, from once more doing great feats. J.B.F. Santos
