4-H lessons in discipline, respect, being prepared formed foundation for success in sports, career
Just weeks after winning a silver medal in shooting at the summer Olympics in Paris, France, U.S. Army Staff Sgt.Sagen Maddalena returned to her hometown, where her interest in the sport was sparked as a 4-H member. Groveland, nestled at the entrance of Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County, greeted her with a hero's welcome on Sept. 21, when she served as grand marshal for the Gold Rush town's annual 49er Day parade.
“Have a dream, think of your future, but put action towards it,” the two-time Olympian advised kids when she spoke at local schools. “I had a dream of going to the Olympics. I continued to work toward it and it came to fruition.”
At an early age, the marksman began focusing on details for a competitive edge. A 4-H volunteer recalled a teenage Maddalena declining a soft drink because she worried that it would affect her shooting performance.
Asked about the memory, Maddalena said that sounded right because sugary drinks may increase one's heart rate, diminishing a shooter's concentration, steadiness and accuracy. She enjoys thinking through the conditions, including wind and light, and winning.
From a small town to the medals podium
Maddalena reflected on her path from participating in California 4-H in Tuolumne County – in a town with a population of 540 – to college, a successful career in the Army and the Olympic medals podium. The 4-H Youth Development Program is delivered by UC Cooperative Extension.
While she doesn't recall how old she was, eight or nine, when she joined the Groveland Highlanders 4-H club, the Tuolumne County native vividly remembers the array of activities.
“I was yay tall,” she said, gesturing with her hand, “and I was cooking cakes in baking classes. I remember my instructor, 4-H leader, Mrs. [Carol] Willmon. We had our meetings up here in Groveland, and I learned a lot about, financials, keeping track of your livestock, how much you're feeding 'em, what money is going in, what money's going out.”
She raised animals to show at the Mother Lode Fair in Tuolumne County – goats, sheep, hogs and horses.
“Me and the sheep weren't very good friends,” she said. “I loved goats; goats and hogs were good. And then I also did fair with horses, showmanship and English and Western [riding styles] with horses. I was all over the map with 4-H, but it really taught me how to take care of my animals.”
But it was a 4-H shooting program that changed her life.
Firearm safety central to first experiences with shooting
“I got started with shooting through 4-H,” said Maddalena, explaining that her parents encouraged her to enroll in a shooting program at age 13. “They wanted to me to learn gun safety and being able to handle a firearm safely if I ever came in contact with one. So that's how I started through 4-H. But with the .22 [firearms] program, I just latched on, I loved it. And there was some competition with it. I learned about safe handling of a firearm, and then I got to compete with it and skyrocketed from there.”
From there, Maddalena joined a junior team, then made her way to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Rifle Championships. “That really that opened the doors then to possibly going to the Olympics, representing my country on the world stage,” she said.
To hone her shooting skills and serve her country, Maddalena joined the Army. She qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 2020, competing in Japan during the pandemic, and again in 2024. In Paris, she finished in second place in the women's 50-meter rifle three positions.
“4-H prepared me for the Army really by showing me discipline,” she said. “And it taught me to take care of my equipment or the livestock that I had. So it taught me those life lessons. Discipline, respect and being prepared is what 4-H really brought into my life. Just as a kid, to get that foundation was so important before I moved up and then decided to join the Army.
And then it all came full circle because in the Army it's all about discipline, respect and being prepared.”
Olympian trains soldiers in Army Marksmanship Unit
At 49er Day, youngsters and community members had an opportunity to get some shooting pointers from the silver medalist, who was wearing her Army uniform. For those aspiring to excel in shooting sports, Maddalena, who trains soldiers in marksmanship, had this advice: “Know what's behind your target, have respect for your equipment, go easy on the trigger and always have control of your firearm.”
Maddalena, who has been in the Army for five years, continues to serve as a marksman and an instructor in the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.
The secret of success, according to Maddalena, is continuously working toward a goal.
“Have that dream and have that desire,” she said. “But you have to have action towards it. You've got to work toward it. Put in the work to make those dreams come true.”
Maddalena, who is based at Fort Moore in Georgia, continues to hone her skills and aims to compete for gold in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I'm thankful for the opportunity that 4-H gave me in such a small town to be able to be involved with the 4-H program; it really just it helped me grow,” Maddalena said. “And I'm very appreciative of that.”