Vera Koo

Vera Koo is a first-generation Chinese American woman. She’s a wife and mother, author, entrepreneur, and retired competition shooter. She’s made her home on the West Coast but is an avid traveler, food lover, and patron of the arts. Vera’s first book and memoir, The Most Unlikely Champion, recounts the stories of her life with tremendous introspection and emotional clarity.

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Vera’s story is more than that of a petite Asian woman becoming a top competitor in the male-dominated sport shooting world. It’s the story of a Chinese immigrant – raised in a traditional Chinese culture, where women deferred to their husbands and kept to their socio-economic class – who succeeded in America.

Vera is a successful businesswoman, an accomplished athlete, and a loving wife and mother. It was never an “either-or” for Vera; it’s about meeting life’s challenges head-on with dogged persistence, grace, humility, and … humor.

In Wisdom and Things, Vera shares lessons she learned throughout her career as a champion female shooter in a sport marked by its machismo. The paperback book contains 130 full color photos and 40 some articles. Topics also include travel, outdoor sports, faith and Vera’s childhood experiences. Her outlook on life pays respect to her Chinese heritage, while encompassing the competitive American spirit.

Wisdom and Things will inspire readers and show them that they have the power to attain their greatest ambitions. Vera’s life is proof that inspiring success stories can emerge from humble beginnings.

Vera’s Blog

A 5-year (and counting!) collection of posts from “Vera Koo” – the column penned by Vera, and published by Women’s Outdoor News. A collection of these blogs appears in Vera’s second book Wisdom and Things.

Vera Koo: On Why She is ‘Chasing the Carrot’

Vera Koo writes, “Although I cannot expect to be on top of my game at this point in my sporting clay shooting journey, it feels good to be striving toward improvement. I don’t feel stale. I feel invigorated. At 75-years old, I have a reason to exercise. I have a carrot to chase, a challenge to drive me and help keep me focused.”