Vera’s Blog

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published December 3, 2014 Vera Koo explains the concept of the ming thing in relation to shooting. Have you ever seen “Madama Butterfly?” It is Puccini’s hauntingly beautiful opera that illuminates a world of love, loss and tragedy...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published February 20, 2014 Everyone has something that could make our world more extraordinary. People spend their entire lives perfecting that skill; ask any athlete, any diplomatic leader, Nobel Prize recipient or Oscar winner. As...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published October 16, 2014 Once in a while, when I am practicing shooting at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club near Columbia, Mo., I still get the question. Someone who does not know me will ask if I’m any good at shooting....

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published May 30, 2014 I went to war this week. Preparing for any major competition, athletic or otherwise, is like going to battle. You practice, drill and train for months. You ensure that your equipment is flawless, you create...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published May 17, 2015 Vera Koo describes why she has been pushing through pain of a knee injury to return to one of the shooting sports’ most prestigious competitions. They told me it could not be done. The first doctor who saw me...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published March 24, 2014 Each March marks an inaugural athletic event. No, I’m not referring to baseball’s spring training, or basketball’s March Madness. On my calendar, March 1 marks the first day of my personal spring preparation;...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published December 2, 2013 One of America’s great leaders, Franklin D. Roosevelt, once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This mantra is etched into American hearts and American history. But, what is our obsession...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published October 22, 2013 There is no real formula for becoming a champion. What works for me is focus and a single mindedness that sometimes causes people to think I am aloof. I am hard on myself and do not want to fail. Becoming a...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published March 28, 2016 The Bianchi Cup, a shooting competition which occurs near Columbia, Mo., each May, is not only a contest of skill, but also is an equipment race. Every competitor tries to have the latest technology –...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published November 6, 2013 What does the world think a shooter looks like? Perhaps a middle-aged male, wearing camouflage or blaze orange, speaking with an accent, and driving a truck. Is that a stereotype? Is that our stereotype?...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published April 29, 2016 I think of our bodies as our vehicles that allow us to travel through life. If you want your vehicle to perform, you must keep it fueled and give it the necessary maintenance. The same is true with our...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published September 30, 2015 Competing at the Bianchi Cup is not for the meek and faint hearted. The national event can be very intimidating because of the high number of participants, plus the spectators. The energy is high-powered....

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published August 24, 2017 Kevin Angstadt offered me some sound advice several years ago during a time when my Bianchi Cup performance had taken a step back. He told me I should consider competing in more regional and state matches to...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published December 16, 2015 Vera Koo describes why she is looking at the end of her shooting career, and reflects on her decision. Some of my shooting friends like to remind me that I have been two years away from retirement for the...

By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published July 3, 2018 I was precise in everything I did throughout my sport shooting career. I was precise in the way I practiced. I was precise in the way I ate in the weeks leading up to a match. I was precise in the way I...