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: Is the End of a Shooting Career in Her Sights?
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published December 16, 2015 Vera Koo describes why she is looking at the end of her shooting career, and reflects on her decision. Some of my shooting friends like to remind me that I have been two years away from retirement for the...
Vera Koo: Why I am Retiring from Shooting Sports
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published July 3, 2018 I was precise in everything I did throughout my sport shooting career. I was precise in the way I practiced. I was precise in the way I ate in the weeks leading up to a match. I was precise in the way I...
Vera Koo’s First Column in a Six-Part Series Inspired by the Writings in her Memoir
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published February 7, 2017 Some people only find enjoyment in hobbies they can share with others, but I have never found this to be the case with shooting. Since I began sport shooting in my 40s, I have found it to be a rewarding...
Staving Off Physical and Mental Deterioration with a New Sport
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published January 28, 2020 After I turned 70 and later retired from competitive shooting, I knew I needed to find ways to keep my body in shape and my mind sharp. I cannot ignore the facts. I am getting old. I have turned 73 last...
In Search of the Perfect Athlete, a Dressage Horse
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published October 21, 2019 He wanted to find a perfect athlete who demonstrated focus. One who maintained their body and avoided injury. One who had the mental makeup to not only handle thousands of hours of practice, but also the...
Love at First Shot: Vera Koo, the Shooting Sports and Mentoring
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published July 31, 2019 When NRA Women asked me to appear on an episode of the online television show “Love at First Shot,” I agreed to do it because I thought it was a chance to give back to the shooting sports. In particular, it...
Women and the Gun Movement
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published March 13, 2019 Vera Koo describes the modern-day women’s gun movement and highlights viable women’s shooting organizations throughout the world. ~BB Victoria Knowles-Lacks describes her gun club in simple terms. “We shoot,...
Vera Koo: Why Women Learn from a Female Instructor
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published June 28, 2016 I have been blessed throughout my shooting career to learn from some great teachers and mentors, men such as Jim O’Young. I never had a female instructor. For me, this was OK. I wanted to advance my knowledge...
Vera Koo: On What’s Next after the Shooting Sports
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published July 26, 2018 I hear many people talk about what they want to do “some day.” Too often, though, “some day” never arrives until the window of opportunity has closed and they can no longer do what they always said they wanted...
How to Become a Public Speaker and Influencer
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, Published June 17, 2019 More than 20 years ago, my husband, Carlos, and I attended a self-improvement seminar. Probably 100 people were there, and we were all asked to stand up and say what we were afraid of. In an interesting twist,...
Retro WON: Benefits of Outdoor Sports and Activities
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, January 23, 2020 When I moved from Hong Kong to the United States at 12 years old, I did not understand the obsession this country has with sports. Years later, I now see why Americans put such value on sports. Sports teach you...
Retro WON: Yuanfen and 2 Pieces of Jade
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, February 21, 2019 In the Chinese culture, we believe in a concept called Yuanfen, which is when fate brings two people together. If you have Yuanfen with another person, you will feel comfortable with that person. You can talk with...
Vera Koo: Why College Matters
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, February 11, 2019 When I enrolled at San Francisco State after graduating high school, I do not think I realized just how valuable the next 4 years of my life would be. I attended college because my friends were going to college. It...
Vera Koo: Three Helpful Things to Make Your Dreams a Reality
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, January 8, 2019 What do you want your life to be about? What are your goals? What would make you happy? Have you ever thought about those questions? You should. Because you can make your dreams become reality. We can all be so much...
Vera Koo is Back in School
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, November 7, 2018 I am a college student again. Yes, at 71 years old, I returned to school. I enrolled this semester for a class called “Introduction to Digital Imaging” at Cañada College in Redwood City, California. It meets twice a...
Vera Koo: On Giving Back Through Writing
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, February 7, 2018 I remember attending a political fundraiser about 13 years ago and noticing how few Asian-American women were seated in the room. Asian-Americans make up a strong percentage of the population in the California Bay...
Squaw Valley Spartan Beast a Beauty of a Fait Accompli
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, January 17, 2018 Squaw Valley Ski Resort holds a special place in the hearts of my daughters, Christina and Shane. They spent winter days skiing there growing up, and it remains a popular gathering spot for my family. This fall,...
Vera Koo: My Faith In God
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, May 3, 2017 This is Vera Koo’s fourth column in a 6-part series that is inspired by the writings in her memoir, which will be published later this year. Vera is known throughout the shooting industry as a gracious woman who exudes...
Retro WON: Applying the Philosophy of Sun Tzu to My Life
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, February 2, 2017 "Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?” ~Sun Tzu Great athletes are perfectionists. We have a strong work ethic, and the tenacious ability to bite into something and never let go. We stay with it....
Vera Koo: Why You Must Shine Through
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, November 29, 2015 Vera Koo describes her journey to becoming one of the world’s finest shooters and how she overcame cultural obstacles and why you must shine through, too. My husband, Carlos, likes to tell a rendition of an old...
Vera Koo: How Windsurfing Kick-Started My Quest to Learn Other Sports
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, August 4, 2015 Before I met my husband, Carlos, I had no background in sports. I did not even take physical education classes in school. Carlos and I met before I turned 18 years old, and we married in 1969. One of my marriage...
Vera Koo: On God’s Plan
By Vera Koo, Women's Outdoor News, July 2, 2015 Learn why Vera Koo accepts and moves forward through accident and injury, again and again, and about how she looks for, and accepts, God’s plan in the process. The manner in which I tore the anterior cruciate ligament...
EN 
ZH_TW 
ZH_CN