By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published May 8, 2018 Two years ago when I competed at the World Action Pistol Championship in New Zealand, I figured it might be my final time participating on the world stage. Turns out, I am getting another opportunity. I am one...
Shooting
Twenty-Five Yards: Set Small Goals – For Shooting and Life
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published March 20, 2017 Twenty-five yards isn’t far to travel – unless, of course, your leg is broken. That’s the situation I found myself in during an April day in 2013 at the gun range near Columbia, Mo. I was training for the...
Vera Koo and Her Zombie Apocalypse Experience
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published April 7, 2020 Life with Carlos is an adventure, so much so that I often think I have lived 2 or 3 lifetimes compressed into one. Throughout our 50 years of marriage, we have not had a dull moment. We raised a family. We...
Retro WON: Why You Must Train in Inclement Weather for Shooting Competitions
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published February 16, 2017 Champion competition shooter Vera Koo continues her series on practical and common sense advice for competition shooters and training regimens. In this installment, she lays out why you must train in...
How to Prepare for a Shooting Competition
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published September 24, 2014 Shooting, like any sport, requires practice, persistence and dedication. In competition, it’s preparation that can help you win, or at least provide comfort and confidence in your abilities. Ask any...
Shooting and the ‘Ming’ Thing
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...
The Future of Women in Shooting Sports
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...
Vera Koo: On Being a Woman in the Shooting Sports
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....
Vera Koo: 2014 Bianchi Cup Wrap Up
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...
Retro WON: Climbing Your Personal ‘Mt. Everest’
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published May 17, 2018 People often wonder why I am still participating in the shooting sport. I will turn 70 later this year, and my performance in recent years has left something to be desired. However, I am not ready to walk away....
Vera Koo: Why I Pushed Through the Pain to Return to Competition
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...
One Foot in Front of the Other in Return to Shooting the Bianchi Cup
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;...