Guns Save Life is based in Illinois, and our Sangamon County chapter is the home of Ryan Held, who along with Michael Phelps, Nathan Adrian and Caeleb Dressel brought home the gold in the men’s 4×100 relay swim in Rio.

He’s an amazing young man, also an Eagle Scout.

He also broke down during the medal presentation, overcome with emotion.

Congratulations Ryan, along with all of America’s Olympians.  God bless you all.

‘Just a kid from Springfield’: America getting to know gold medal-winner Ryan Held

(State Journal-Register) – He’s everywhere. Monday morning, Ryan Held made a guest appearance on NBC’s “Today Show.” Monday evening, he was on the “NBC Nightly News” with Lester Holt. Tuesday morning, it’s “Good Morning America.”

“They’re all over him,” Randy Held, Ryan’s father, said Monday afternoon by telephone from Rio de Janeiro.

Every four years, the Olympic Games bring a new, fresh face into America’s living rooms. Ryan Held is America’s darling.He earned the distinction the same way he won three individual state championships while at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, the same way he nailed a swimming scholarship to North Carolina State University, the same way he won a place on the United States men’s swim team for the Rio Olympics and the same way he worked his way onto a spot on Sunday night’s gold medal-winning 4×100 relay team.

Call it Ryan Held being Ryan Held.