During my last chat with Vera Koo, I asked her what she did in her free time. She surprised me by opening up and sharing much more than I expected. I felt like I was talking to a social media influencer who was sharing her secrets and hacks. And now I’m going to share Vera Koo behind-the-scenes with you.
Dinner Parties
Vera makes sure to host one or two dinner parties in her home every year. She spends a lot of time preparing to have guests. This begins outside her home, with taking care of the gardens and flower boxes. She plants new flowers for the occasion, making sure to change them up for the season.
As for the menu, Vera admits she is not a good cook, so she sticks to the same menu every time. She has a couple of good dishes she prepares, then Carlos does a barbecue. She tells her friends that if they come to her home for 100 dinners, they will all be the same. With a giggle in her voice, she mentions that her friends know they are safe from her cooking because she’s never going to try anything else.
For Vera, a dinner party is all about the presentation and making everything beautiful. Although it takes a lot of time, she is a master of it.
Beauty Regime
Once a month, Vera has a facial. Years ago, before she started shooting, she knew she would be spending a lot of time in the sun. In her generation of Chinese culture, light skin is preferred. She was born with light skin and is trying to keep it from aging. As a wife, it is her duty to present herself as well as she can manage. Years ago, she knew she did not want to look like those shrunken apples with witch faces carved in them. She knew she needed to preserve her skin.
When she used to shoot the Bianchi Cup, she would spend eight or more hours alone on the range under the sun practicing. She always wore a veil and sunblock. She said her old sunblock was white, and for 21 years she looked like the Joker (from “Batman”). But since she was alone, she didn’t mind. Now, with sporting clays, she is with other people. She doesn’t want to embarrass her instructor, so she wears tinted sunblock. And she can’t wear her veil anymore because it prohibits her from mounting her shotgun.
As you can see, because both her husband and friends expect her to maintain her light, youthful skin, she is very strict with her beauty regimen. She washes all her makeup off every night, gets a facial once a month and always wears sunblock.
Sleeping
When Vera shot a pistol, between all the draws and recoil, she used her hands a lot. Now that she shoots a shotgun, her arms, shoulders and elbows are feeling the abuse. So, when she goes to bed, she wears dancers’ leg warmers to cover both her arms. That keeps her arms warm. She also wears woven gloves with the tips of the fingers cut off on her hands. Then, she covers her shoulders with a large rolled-up towel. The reason for all this is because years ago someone gave her a wrap for her elbow, which worked so well she assumed it was medicated. She later found out it was to keep that joint warm. That was her first inkling of the benefit of keeping her muscles and joints warm.
Then, while visiting her acupuncturist during her Bianchi years, she was told she got chilled on her neck and shoulder. After putting all this information together, she decided to wear all those things to bed every night to protect her hands, elbows and shoulders. She feels you have to keep the muscles you use very often in a repetitive warm-up when you sleep. Vera strongly believes this is what’s allowing her to keep shooting all these years.
I can’t say enough how amazed I am with Vera Koo. Every time I talk on the phone with her, I learn something new and unexpected. She is currently training 2-1/2 weeks a month and only spending about 5 days at a time in her home. Between the 6- to 7- loads of laundry, her many appointments, breakfast with Carlos and lunches with friends, I don’t know how she does it. I think we can all hope to be a little more like Vera Koo as we age.
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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
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