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 the NRA World Action Pistol Championship & Bianchi Cup
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...
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...
Vera Koo: Lightning Strikes Twice
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published April 22, 2015 Vera Koo knows that lightning can strike twice, especially when it comes to accidents when you’re active. Read about her recent skiing accident and how she, once again, prepares to recover so that she can...
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...
Salmon Fishing in British Columbia
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published November 3, 2017 This guest post comes from Carlos Koo, who is married to the lovely Vera Koo, a formidable competition shooter. When Vera is off competing, Carlos can often be found on an adventure trip. For this trip, he...
Bette Midler, Glenn Close and Vera Koo: An Opportunity Not Missed
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published August 1, 2017 I always advise people to never pass up an opportunity that excites them, even if the timing seems inopportune. Opportunities are fleeting. You never know when another window will open if you miss the first....
Camping on Moutcha Bay
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published October 17, 2018 I watched my youngest granddaughter transform from a baby to a toddler. I experienced the high tea of a lifetime. And, most importantly, I enjoyed quality family time that included many experiences,...
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...
Vera Koo: What I Learned on Broadway
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published October 3, 2018 I like to be around energy and excitement. That is one reason why I enjoy traveling to New York City. The bright lights, the noise, the crowds on Times Square, the array of colors, I love it all. I traveled...
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;...
Vera Koo: Shing Ping and Facing Your Fears
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...
Vera Koo: How to Become a Champion Shooter
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...
Vera Koo: Bianchi Cup Competition Gear
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 –...
Vera Koo: A Champion’s Mindset to the Shooting Sports
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?...
Vera Koo: Why You Must Exercise if You Want to Shoot
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...
Why You Should Compete at State and Regional Shooting Tournaments
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....
Retro WON: Get Out There and Compete in Regional and State Matches
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...
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