Most people that I encounter are aware or quickly discover that I do not come from a family background of firearms or outdoor activities. I do not have an amazing or dramatic story that motivated me to learn how to handle firearms, and honestly, I did not like them. In 2017, the state of Missouri became a constitutional carry state; I was 39-years old then. I remember thinking maybe it was time I eliminated my dislike, due mostly to lack of exposure and training with firearms, and learn how to handle a firearm safely and properly.
When Barbara Baird asked me if I’d heard of Vera Koo, and if I’d be willing to read and review her book, I didn’t hesitate. Barbara sent me “Wisdom and Things: Essays From an Unlikely Champion,” which Vera coauthored with Blake Toppmeyer.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I grabbed a cup of coffee, finished the first chapter, and immediately grabbed an erasable highlighter, and started reading the book over from the beginning. I felt like there were key points she made that I needed to pay attention to and made notes of our similarities. I began to carve time out of my days to finish reading and making notes. It had been a long time since I felt the urge to make notes as if I was still school. There were so many similarities between our journeys: we are late firearm bloomers, minority women, unsure of how to begin setting our firearm training foundations and getting past our intimidations. There were several points she discussed regarding industry issues, of which I had no personal experience but had heard tell from industry veterans.
I was hesitant to read a memoir, I was not certain I would appreciate the content, as previous memoirs that I have attempted tend to read robotic, leaving me bored. Vera Koo’s memoir felt as if she were having a discussion with someone, and you were fortunate enough to have seat right next to them to absorb the conversation. It is not written in chronological order, yet it flowed perfectly with the points she wanted to express and flashbacks to her journey. Her book is divided into four parts:
Part 1: Becoming a Champion.
Part 2: Getting Knocked Down? Get Up Stronger.
Part 3: A little Religion. A Little Philosophy. A Little Introspection.
Part 4: Lessons from Travel.
My most impressionable notes from Vera Koo, those that I connected deeply with were the following:
Even if I had not identified with her perspective, it felt intriguing to learn about her personal journey as a traditionally-raised Chinese American immigrant that began her journey at the age of 40 to become eight-time women’s division national champion at the Bianchi Cup, two-time world title champion that retired in 2018, at the age of 71.
I ordered her first book, “The Most Unlikely Champion: A Memoir,” to read and I am looking forward to enjoying it as much as I did this one.
Order Wisdom and Things: Essays From an Unlikely Champion here.
Sharenda Birts is the Director of Community Affairs and one of the 4 founding members of wildHERness, a diverse group of outdoorswomen passionate about providing females with a connection to the outdoors through workshops, events, mentoring and community service. Her passion for the outdoors began when she began to learn how to safely handle a firearm and clean it. She does not come from a family background of firearms or outdoorsman and did not have any exposure to the outdoors until she joined a sporting clays league that persuaded her to attend a pheasant hunt. Although Sharenda is a new hunter, she is passionate about sharing her adventures to inspire other city born-and-raised minority women – with the message that they, too, can learn how to explore the outdoors, no matter what their ages. Sharenda is an NRA certified pistol, shotgun, and metallic cartridge reloading instructor who comes from a background with 25 years in the banking and equity investment industry. She also admits to being addicted to clay sports, along with upland and waterfowl hunting. Sharenda’s gearing up for angling and fly-tying in the near future. View all posts by Sharenda Birts
