Pistol shooting champion Vera Koo is always open to and searching for new experiences. For example, after she retired from competitive pistol shooting, she decided to venture into the shotgun world with sporting clays. She shared much of her openness to new experiences through the years in her articles at The WON. The following are a few of our favorites.
At a young age, Vera had no experience in sports, not even a physical education class. Then she met Carlos, and all that changed.
“When I met my husband, I probably seemed very fragile and not athletic. Throughout our years of being together, he exposed me to sports that, without either of us knowing it at the time, taught me lessons that have helped greatly during my years of competitive shooting.”
In her article, “How Windsurfing Kick-Started My Quest to Learn Other Sports,” Vera shares the story of her determination to learn how to windsurf, which acted like a “gateway” sport, later to be followed by other sports such as snow skiing, horseback riding and hiking.
While vacationing in Las Vegas with her family, Vera tried her hand at something significantly different from her norm when she and Carlos went hunting for zombies.
“I learned that my actual pistol shooting skills did not quickly translate to the world of a virtual reality video game.”
A 30-minute virtual reality game in a 2,000-square-foot arena had Vera and seven family members working together to take down zombies. Having never seen a zombie movie or even played a video game, Vera experienced quite the adrenaline rush. And as you may have guessed, after the first game Vera had to go bake two more times to see if she could improve. Read more about this adventure in her article, “Vera Koo and Her Zombie Apocalypse Experience.“
A family trip to Washington State has Vera and her family on the hunt for the elusive geoduck clam.
“The experience proved what Carlos has preached since our children were little: Christina, Shane and Austin can accomplish anything when working as a unit.”
Vera’s three adult children joined forces as the entire family spent time on the beach working together to dig up a geoduck clam. Considered a delicacy, this clam – that can stretch up to a couple of feet, with a shell that ranges from six- to eight-inches – is not easy to find. It takes the teamwork of the entire family to dig one up. In “Bonding by Geoduck Clams,” Vera conveys what she learned about her children’s strength when they work together and the strength her family will have in years to come.
Here are more collections of Vera’s writings surrounding the theme of being open to new experiences:
Advice from Ancient Chinese Culture
Travel Highlights from Around the Globe
Video Highlights of Vera’s Shooting Career
Find all Vera’s posts here.
Visit Vera’s website here.
Michelle Cerino, aka Princess Gunslinger, first entered the firearms industry in 2011 as co-owner, president and trainer at a national training company. She immediately began competing in both 3-Gun and NRA Action Pistol, becoming a sponsored shooter. Michelle is currently a columnist and Managing Editor of Women’s Outdoor News, as well as owner of Pervenio LLC. She also manages social media for Vera Koo and FASTER Saves Lives. Michelle encourages others to step out of the comforts of home and explore. View all posts by Michelle Cerino
