Julie Golob tells us how she relates to champion shooter Vera Koo’s life in this review of Vera’s book ‘Wisdom and Things.’ Julie has always understood and admired her fellow competitor, but after Julie experienced an injury of her own, she now has more reasons to be motivated by Vera. In this video Julie answers a few questions about the book and explains how she connects to Vera’s trials on a very personal level.
Below is an excerpt from Julie’s written review of ‘Wisdom and Things.’ Click here to read her full review.
I just finished reading two books. One titled “The Lager Queen of Minnesota,” by J. Ryan Stradal, follows the story of three women, two sisters and a granddaughter. The characters deal with tragedy and loss but find themselves and each other through brewing beer. Where “The Lager Queen of Minnesota” is fictional, Vera Koo’s “Wisdom and Things: Essays from an Unlikely Champion” is not. The parallels are striking.
Like the oldest sister in Stradal’s novel, Vera filled the role of homemaker and mother, but also found her way to success in a traditionally male field. Instead of putting in the work at a brewery, Vera chose the shooting sports. I enjoyed both books, but I have to say having the privilege of knowing Vera makes “Wisdom and Things” and its real life story even more special.
To me, Vera’s second book is like a diary and scrapbook in one. Having competed with this unlikely champion over the span of many years, it’s fun to see photos from her childhood. It’s an intimate look beyond my memories on the range and one of my favorites is her standing behind a stove cooking up a meal. In some images, she looks like a movie star and travel blogger. Others are more familiar and feature her hard at work on the range, chasing her goals.
Throughout the compilation of essays organized into four parts, Vera spills the beans not only on how she became so successful as an eight-time Bianchi champion, but also, the things she has learned along the way. These experiences and the knowledge that helped Vera discover are relative and relatable today.
Julie Golob is one of the most accomplished professional shooters in the world and captain of Team Smith & Wesson. She has won more than 120 championship titles in international, national and regional marksmanship competitions in seven different shooting disciplines. Learn more about the champion, author, veteran, hunter and outdoor television personality at JulieGolob.com. View all posts by Julie Golob
[…] this video review, originally published by Women’s Outdoor News, Julie Golob tells us how she relates to fellow champion shooter Vera Koo. ~ The […]