Shoot for the Moon!

By: Gabby Franco
Director of Chapters and Membership
Olympian, Firearms Instructor, Competitive Shooter, and Author

Not even the hot sun on a clear day made me stop shivering. So, I returned to the gymnasium to wait for my turn to get to the line. I knew my unstoppable shaking had nothing to do with the cold room. It was a mental battle between thinking about what I needed to do and the consequences of winning or losing.

My coach, Otar, an older man of average stature, walked towards me with his hands clasped behind his back and with the serious look that often characterized him. He put his left arm around my shoulders while we stared at my shooting lane. I had qualified for the female air pistol finals, which was about to begin. I was standing in second place.

Otar said something in Russian while gripping my left shoulder tighter. Then, he whispered in Spanish: “Regardless of what you do today, remember you are a champion in my and your parents’ eyes. You know what you need to do. Think only about that and nothing else. Now, go and do what you love to do!”

That day, I won the silver medal in air pistol at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, earning me a spot to compete at the 2000 Olympic Games and becoming the first Venezuelan female shooter to compete at the Olympics.

My story is just one of thousands of competitive shooters’ who were blessed to have someone take them to the gun range to learn about firearm safety and how to shoot. For that, I will always be thankful to my father, an avid hunter, and my mother (who never liked firearms, but that’s a story for another day) for taking my siblings and me to the range and giving us the opportunity to thrive in shooting sports.

Like my parents, you can make a difference in someone’s life.

Encouraging gun owners to visit the gun range can help them improve their skills and creates opportunities to teach safe firearm handling to their children and grandchildren. Taking someone to the range who’s never heard about shooting as a pastime or sport can change their whole perspective about gun ownership and our Second Amendment rights. Regardless of the motive, education is a win for everyone.

You can participate in the movement in many ways, whether as a gun owner, firearm retailer, gun manufacturer or a gun range. Go to the National Shooting Sports Month website to learn more about the movement.

See you at the range!

Gabby Franco is an accomplished author, speaker, competitive shooter, and instructor, recognized worldwide for her shooting skills and advocacy for the right to own and bear arms. In addition to winning three gold medals at the South American Games, Gabby is widely known for her participation in the History Channel’s reality TV show Top Shot, where she became the only woman to advance to the finals. She is a firearms instructor, USPSA competitive shooter sponsored by Walther Arms and Primary Arms, and author of the book “Troubleshooting, Mastering Your Pistol Marksmanship.” Gabby is also a proud Army wife, a mother of one, and a Second Amendment rights advocate, working to educate and empower thousands of people through live and virtual training across the United States and Puerto Rico, hallmarked by her message of dedication, sportsmanship, and positive attitude. You can learn more about Gabby here.