Competitive Shooter Uses ‘Gun Therapy’ to Manage Parkinson’s

By Jacki Billings

David Smith, aka Parkinson Shooter, racks up points during matches, despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis. (Photo: David Smith via Instagram)
David Smith inspires looks of awe and wonder when he picks up his gun and fires. A powerhouse on the competitive circuit, Smith dominates in competition — so much so that he earned a spot at the 2019 World Rifle Shoot in Sweden. There’s something about Smith, though, that always stops spectators in their tracks. Smith suffers from Parkinson’s, a debilitating disease that affects the Central Nervous System.
Watching Smith approach a firing line, the symptoms are obvious, but once a gun is in his hands, the tremors stop, all is still. It’s part of what he calls “gun therapy,” a term he coined to describe the positive impact shooting sports has had on his life.
Guns.com sat down with Smith to talk life with Parkinson’s and competition shooting.
GDC: How did you come to be known as Parkinson Shooter?
Smith: Well, I have Parkinson’s. I was around 38 when I was diagnosed. I’m 46 now. When I was signing up for my first major match, on the card it asked, “Are you military, law enforcement, veteran, lady division?” But there was no Parkinson’s division. I

Source: Guns.com