Branden Fitzgerald International Skeet Athlete and Outdoorsman
Current Pursuit
Chasing Olympic Gold: My Story
Ever since I picked up a shotgun for the first time at age 13 in late 2022, I’ve been hooked on clay target shooting. My first trap lesson wasn’t too shabby—I scored a 23, which showed I might have a knack for this. After joining a youth shooting team, I got really good, really fast, entering different types of shooting events. Just four months later, I was already entering tournaments and taking home wins. By 2024, I had big dreams: I wanted to win Olympic gold and become a world champion in International Skeet. That year was huge for me—the first month of shooting International Skeet, I made it to my first big final and snagged a silver medal at the following match in the junior men’s division at the Jacksonville International Skeet Open. I’ve been training with an awesome coach, Remington McBee, who’s a pro in the sport. Being part of his top-notch McBee’s Finest Pro Team (click here to check him out) has leveled up my skills, from how I shoot to how I stay focused under pressure. With his help and the connections he has, I’m ready to tackle whatever comes next in my shooting journey.
Achievements
Clay Sports
- Jacksonville International Open (HQS) Bronze Medalist Junior Men’s 2025
- USA Shooting Spring Selection Match M18 Silver Medalist, 2025
- Jacksonville International Open Silver Medalist Junior Men's, 2024
- Texas State Junior Olympics 2024 Bronze Medalist
- Challenge FRI/SAT FITASC Class Gold Medalist, 2023
- Nevada State Sporting Clays Championship Class Out of State 5-Stand Champion, 2023
- Nevada State Sporting Clays Championship Class Doubles Champion, 2023
- CYSSA US Open Las Vegas Sporting Clays Class Bronze Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA US Open Las Vegas Skeet Class Bronze Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA US Open Las Vegas Sporting Clays Class Squad Silver Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA US Open Las Vegas Trap Class Squad Gold Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA State Championship Trap Class Squad Gold Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA State Championship Skeet Class Squad Bronze Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA Skeet Series Class Silver Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA Skeet Series Class Bronze Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA Trap Series Class Silver Medalist, 2023
- CYSSA State Championship Sporting Clays Class Squad Gold Medalist, 2023
Faith
My Faith is Everything
My faith means the world to me. When I was just two months old, I was baptized at Christ the King, a historic church in Tahoe City. As far back as I can remember, I’ve thanked God for everything in my life. Once I learned to read, the Bible pulled me in and made my connection with God even stronger. I truly believe my family, my shooting skills, and all the great opportunities I’ve had come from God’s blessings and my close relationship with Him. Now, I study theology in school, and it’ll always be part of my life. I love God, and He loves me back—He blesses me every day. My favorite Bible verse is: ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.’ – Psalm 136:1 (NIV).
Scholastic
Love for Learning
Since I was young, I’ve loved learning, and I got to explore that passion in outdoor classrooms around Tahoe’s wilderness. Those hands-on experiences built my connection to nature and made me excited about education. I did really well in school, but I wanted a setup that could keep up with my fast pace of learning and my growing shooting career. Regular classrooms worked for a while, but eventually, I switched to online school. That change has been perfect—it lets me juggle tough classes, my faith, and my intense training and competition schedule. Thanks to this path, I’ve kept a 4.0 GPA while chasing what I love. It’s also taught me how to adapt and bounce back, showing me how important it is to match my faith and education with my personal goals. tahoe outdoorsman
My Partners
