Joe Rizzi has previously served as the emergency manager for the city of Eugene, Oregon and the director of Emergency Management for Multnomah County in Portland, Oregon. As a member of the track and field squad in high school, Joe Rizzi threw the discus.The discus event involves a male or female athlete throwing a metal disc (men two kg and 22 cm; women one kg and 18 cm) as far they can without leaving a circle that is two-and-a-half meters in diameter. The distance of the throw is measured from the back half of the circle, provided that the discus lands within the boundaries and the thrower has not stepped outside the circle prior to the discus reaching the ground.A discus throw usually involves one-and-a-half spins before being released, and the competitor is allowed to make between four and six attempts during a meet. First prize goes to the thrower with the longest single throw, but if there is a tie, the second-longest throw will decide the winner.
In 2013, Joe Rizzi worked as the director of emergency management at Multnomah County in Portland, Oregon. In his free time, Joe Rizzi enjoys fly fishing in the rivers around the state of Oregon.The Quiet Waters Ranch in Montana is owned by the Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation, a nonprofit organization that teaches combat veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq basic and advanced fly-fishing techniques. Every year, groups of half a dozen veterans spend six days at the ranch learning fly fishing. The ranch accommodates around 10 groups each year.Veterans start the program on a Monday by acquiring and learning how to use fishing gear. They are equipped with fly rods, boots, waders, jackets, shirts, and various other necessities of the sport. On day 5, Warrior and Quiet Waters volunteers gather the participants and share one last meal called the Sayonara Dinner.During that time, the veterans open up about their experiences of three full days of fly fishing as well as how the program affected them. The veterans typically discuss personal issues they may have resolved during the trip, or they just share their appreciation for the fishing and learning experience.Since fly fishing is challenging and rewarding in itself, the rhythm and process that the technique offers helps people with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. Such activities are known to help prevent the mind from wandering and to have a calming effect at the same time.
