Background

I didn't grow up with guns; they were something I didn't pay much attention to until my first marriage. I was apprehensive and a bit nervous about them at first, but he taught me how to shoot and took me hunting. He regretted that decision when, years later, I decided that I had enough of his abuse and left. After showing him that I was able to enforce my boundaries, he decided to leave me alone and my journey into self-discovery and courage began.

Having a new-found appreciation for firearms, I worked at shooting ranges and a few gun stores. I sold guns, took shooting lessons, and learned to reload ammunition. I met my second husband at one of those gun stores and the connection was instant. We were married two years later, had a baby girl and life was good. 

We hunted, reloaded handgun and precision rifle rounds for target shooting, and we even did a bit of competition shooting for a summer. He started and ran Defensive Shooting Club because he had a passion for teaching people how to defend themselves and wanted to pass on all he had learned from his extensive tactical training. He taught me what he learned, then inspired me to begin teaching the wives of his shooting club members, which soon expanded to other women in our community. I became NRA certified, took classes from Advanced Weapons & Tactics, taught the NRA's Refuse to be a Victim program, helped him run Defensive Shooting Club, and would teach women when there was a need.

During that time, he became a police officer, fulfilling his life-long dream of being in law enforcement. He worked for San Leandro PD in California for three years and loved his job. On July 25, 2005, he was ambushed and killed on duty, and my world came crashing down. My life took a dramatic turn, and I became someone I didn't recognize. The details are unimportant here, but twenty years later, I feel like I've come full circle and I'm ready to continue what he inspired me to create: a place for women to become competent, confident shooters. 

Even if you decide that it isn't something you want to make a regular part of your life, being able to handle a gun without being afraid or unsafe is a skill we should all possess. Personally, I have found that the confidence that comes from that skill spilled over into other areas of my life where I lacked confidence. I figured, if I can handle a potentially dangerous weapon, I can handle other situations in my life that make me feel unsure or unsafe. It wasn't comfortable, but it was worth definitely worth the effort. 

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. - Anais Nin