Rhys Plum talks to Team USA’s Junior World Champion Joe Fanizzi

Nicknamed the ‘Florida Nightmare’ by fellow Team USA shooters, Joe Fanizzi is one of US shooting’s young rising stars. Born and raised in Okeechobee, Florida, Joe is the son of Fred and Maria, co-managers at the famous Quail Creek Plantation Shooting Ground, where he can often be found practising for his next competition. His list of achievements are remarkable for his age, including two World FITASC Junior Championships and a World English Colt Championship.

I found Joe to be a real gentleman as well as a fierce competitor. A devout Christian, he believes that he can only shoot his best when he gets the balance right between God, study and shooting. “I have lived here at Quail Creek my whole life,” says Joe. “Growing up in the shotgun sports industry has been a really cool experience. Outside of Sporting clays, I love being surrounded by nature. Whether it’s hunting or fishing, the great outdoors is where I want to be. Being seventeen, I’m still in school and completing my final year before I head off to university, which will take up a lot of my time.”

Joe puts a lot of his success down to his gentle introduction into the sport by his father. “My Dad would often take me out hunting and fishing with him, and he instilled in me his passion for nature. He did a really good job of introducing me into the sport, and to the outdoors. I fell in love with all things shooting because of these awesome experiences he gave me from a young age.”