London Olympics Hometown Heroes: Sarah Scherer

Olympic shooter, Sarah Scherer followed in her brother’s footstep by getting herself to the Olympic games - where she's always shooting for the stars!

Sarah Scherer is taking aim a gold medal!

The air rifle Olympian is hoping to shoot her way onto the podium in London.

“The person who is gonna win the gold is gonna shoot a 399 or 400 - which is hitting those 39 or 40 times out of 40. Which is pretty much as close to perfection as you can get,” explained Scherer.

The 21-year-old Woburn native was a runner-up on the 2008 Olympic team, but this time she's earned a top spot!

“I’m a young athlete for sure; don't have as much experience as some of the other athletes going up against me. But I do know I’ve been at the world level and have been able to perform and I’ve shot the scores that are gonna win it, so I know I can do it

Her sport, air rifle, requires competitors to aim and shoot at a target no bigger than a pen dot!

“I like the challenge. It's a huge mental sport,” said Scherer.

Sarah, a pre-med major at Texas Christian University, started shooting when she was just nine.

“When it comes down to the Olympics, all of us have the skill, have the foundation of shooting, it’s really who is gonna put forth the mental effort, who really wants it,” said Scherer.

While she now calls Texas home, she has fond memories of Massachusetts.

“It's a fantastic place, people are wonderful The city is great, diversity of people, all the different universities. I am a Red Sox fan- die hard. I mean I’m never gonna like another team as much as the Boston Red Sox.

Sarah attributes a lot of her success to her brother Stephen, who was a 2008 Olympian in air rifle.

Tragically, Stephan took his life in 2010.

“We were really close, the years I got with him, I hold dear to my heart,” said Scherer.

Scherer said his memory will live on and in London, he is right there with her.

“In my heart definitely for sure, I don’t know how it all works up there, if he can watch, but i carry him with me wherever I go.”

On special occasions, Scherer honors her brother by wearing a strand of pearls he bought her in Beijing.