I’ve been on the fence about beauty pageants for quite a while.  Are they good for women and our collective self image? Meh. I have my doubts. But this contestant has definitely got my attention. In this People Magazine article, Miss Kansas, Sgt. Theresa Vail explains that she wants to demonstrate to young women and girls that beauty comes from within. And while it is not the first time we’ve heard these words from a beauty contestant, coming from Sgt. Vail, the message takes on a whole new meaning.

“Nobody expects a soldier to be a beauty queen,” Vail says, “but I’m all about breaking stereotypes.”

She is a living example of the latest social mantra that “strong is the new beautiful,” and interestingly, she doesn’t shy away from the heavy stuff:

“I was bullied when I was a kid. It got so bad that I nearly took my own life … My dad [an Army dentist stationed in Germany] took me hunting with him and it saved my life. Ever since then, I’ve been an outdoors girl,” she says. “My passion is empowering girls through male-dominated outdoor sports.”
She adds, “I want to help them develop confidence, to let them know that they have what it takes to accomplish anything they want to accomplish. I know many young girls look at beauty candidates and think, ‘What a perfect life they have.’ But I want them to know that I haven’t led a perfect life. And that beauty comes from the inside.”

This one officially has my respect. And if that heartfelt message was just a little too sappy for you, not to worry. She exercises her badassery on a regular basis:

She’s also an expert M16 marksman, a bow hunter, a skydiver, a boxer and a mechanic. She finally had to stop motorcycle racing after breaking all the fingers in her right hand – a potential stumbling block, she decided, to reaching her goal of becoming an Army dentist. She can skin a deer, she has a great squirrel stew recipe (it features sauerkraut) and, one day, she hopes to hunt bear with her bow and arrow.

Seeing this paradigm shift in that bastion of beauty standards, The Miss America Pageant, is no small event and I look forward to seeing more women and girls proudly making shooting, hunting and, what the heck, even our armed forces a part of their identity.

Keep up the good work, Miss Kansas. We will be rooting for you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

https://www.people.com/people/mobile/article/0,,20732653,00.html

UPDATE:

Though Theresa didn’t win the competition, she has made some great inroads in pop culture for women who shoot and hunt. Great job, Theresa! Can’t wait to see what you do in the year to come.

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NIkki Turpeaux in action at the first national conference for A Girl & A Gun.

Turpeaux as an Ambassador for their Tactical Training Program. This marks the first time 5.11 has hired a civilian and the first time they have hired a female for this position. I told you it was huge.

If you are not yet familiar with Nikki, you will definitely want to keep an eye on this one. The girl has a sense of humor as quick as the bullets she slings and heart the size of Texas, which just happens to be her home state. Turpeaux, the proprietor of Archangel Tactical, now calls Atlanta home, but she is often on the move teaching defense classes around the country. She also recently joined the team over at Women’s Outdoor News as a contributor. This chick is a rising star in the gun community and we can’t wait to see more of her and her leadership in the very near future. Congrats, Nikki, and keep up the good work! You represent us well.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out this press release detailing Nikki’s new role with 5.11:

ARCHANGEL TACTICAL, LLC – Alpharetta, Ga. – March 22, 2013 – Nikki Turpeaux, lead
instructor and CEO of Archangel Tactical, LLC, recently spent time on the range training employees of
the 5.11 Tactical Development Center in Irvine, Calif. At the invitation of 5.11 Tactical, Turpeaux taught
personal defense tactics in firearms, edged weapons and unarmed maneuvers.

At the culmination of the training, 5.11 invited Turpeaux to join forces and represent the company as its
Ambassador for Tactical Training Program.

“For the past two years, I have imagined what it would be like to visit 5.11 Tactical and have an
opportunity to train with their team. I am very excited about the opportunity to be their Ambassador for
the Tactical Training Alliance Program,” said Turpeaux.

She continued, “I have always been fond of 5.11 and its helpful and supportive staff. I feel so blessed that
this opportunity has finally come along and I am honored. Thank you to CEO, Tom Davin, and to his
amazing staff for welcoming me onboard!”

Bill Berry, 5.11 Tactical Director of Global Training and Development, remarked, “As a retired law
enforcement trainer in both firearms and defensive tactics, I was very interested in seeing Nikki’s program
and how she related the key elements to civilian students. It was clear to me that she has developed a very
comprehensive and accurate curriculum. I was also impressed with the way she related the curriculum to
the women in the group. She provided an atmosphere that made them feel comfortable, which is critical
to learning. I would recommend her program to any of our new civilian employees as a way to become
familiar and competent with the use of a handgun for self defense.”

Berry added, “Nikki should be proud of what she has accomplished in the development of her program. I
welcome her to our 5.11 team.”
Archangel Tactical provides high quality tactical and defensive training throughout the United States.
Based in Alpharetta, Ga., and Houston, Texas, Turpeaux and her mobile-training unit offers a wide range
of tactical courses in handgun, shotgun, rifle disciplines, along with its popular Get A G.R.I.P.™ Ladies
program.

Nikki Turpeaux at the 5.11 Headquarters in California.

Check out more from Nikki and the WON here:

https://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2013/03/nikki-turpeaux-brings-personal-defense-training-to-a-girl-a-gun-national-conference/

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Jessie and Natalie at NRA Annual Meeting 2012.

Not only is she a champion shooter and a super cool chick, but it turns out Jessie Duff is a fantastic gun rights ambassador to the media. Below are a couple of clips from some of Jessie’s recent appearances on FOX News. Be sure to check out her Facebook page and Twitter feed as well (@Jessie_Duff) for updates on what she is up to and her commentary on current events. If you are not familiar with Jessie yet, check out the bio from her website and then head over there to learn more.

Jessie’s demonstration of several common firearms on the Hannity show:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jessie’s interview with Judge Jeanine:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Keep up the wonderful work, Jessie! You make us proud.

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For more information on attending the conference or creating your own A Girl & A Gun chapter, visit their website here:https://www.agirlandagunclub.com/

Check out this press release about the event:

AUSTIN, Texas – Julianna Crowder, president of A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League, announced that the Outdoor Wire Digital Network, the firearms industry’s daily news source and publisher of The Outdoor Wire, The Shooting Wire and The Tactical Wire, will be a platinum sponsor of the 2013 A Girl & A Gun National Conference, Presented by Smith & Wesson.

The 2013 A Girl & A Gun National Conference, Presented by Smith & Wesson, will take place March 22-24 at T.I.G.E.R. Valley, the premiere training facility in Central Texas located in Waco. Bringing together some of the top women in the shooting industry, the conference offers participants training sessions, live-fire instruction and presentations on topics relevant to women participating in the shooting sports today.

Registration for the conference is now open but space is limited. A Girl & A Gun members can register online, as well as find additional information regarding conference schedules and lodging.

“On behalf of the members of A Girl & A Gun I want to thank Jim Shepherd and the Outdoor Wire Digital Network for their very generous support,” said Julianna Crowder. “The Outdoor Wire, as well as the other wires that make up the Outdoor Wire Digital Network, serve as the firearms communities’ daily news and many A Girl & A Gun members are regular readers of the wires so they can keep up with the latest news on products and hunting and shooting opportunities.”

“A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League has seen tremendous growth in just a short period of time and is opening new doors for women shooters every day. We are pleased to join Smith & Wesson and other industry leaders in supporting this important women’s outreach effort,” said Jim Shepherd, publisher of the Outdoor Wire Digital Network.

A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League is a ladies-only organization established by women shooters for women shooters for the pistol, rifle and shotgun sports. Founded in February of 2011 in Austin, Texas, A Girl & A Gun today has more than 750 members and 20 clubs in seven states, making it the fastest growing women’s shooting organization.

For more information on the 2013 A Girl & A Gun National Conference, Presented by Smith & Wesson, or to find a club near you, visit www.AGirlAndAGunClub.com. You can also join the conversation online on Facebook or by following @AGAGClub on Twitter.

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While most of us here in the US were asleep on Saturday night, this California girl and her shotgun were out braving the London wind and rain in an effort to make history.

Kim Rhode, who, for the record is one of the coolest chicks you could ever meet, left the rest of her women’s skeet competitors in the dust and scored an Olympic Record hitting 99 of 100 targets, tying the World Record and scoring her historic fifth Olympic medal in five Olympics.  She is the first American athlete to ever do so.

Check out this interview we did with Kim during her training last year:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is a report on her incredible win:

Rhode’s drive for 5 capped by skeet gold medal

She set an Olympic record with 99 points

Updated: Sunday, 29 Jul 2012, 3:43 PM MDT
Published : Sunday, 29 Jul 2012, 7:58 AM MDT

• TIM REYNOLDS,AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) — Step aside, Carl Lewis.

You, too, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Al Oerter.

Meet Kimberly Rhode, the first American with individual medals in five straight Olympics, after a golden, record-setting, nearly perfect performance.

Rhode won the women’s skeet shooting Sunday, tying a world record and setting the Olympic mark with 99 points — meaning she missed once in 100 shots. She was eight targets better than silver medalist Wei Ning of China and nine better than Slovakia’s Danka Bartekova, who topped Russia’s Marina Belikova in a shootout for the bronze.

Rhode won in double trap at Atlanta as a teenager in 1996, took bronze in that event four years later at Sydney, re-claimed the gold at Athens in 2004 and won the silver in skeet at Beijing in 2008.

Now, golden again.

“It’s just been an incredible journey,” said Rhode, strands of glitter intertwined with her blonde hair. “And ultimately, I couldn’t be happier for bringing home the gold for the United States.”

Lewis, Oerter, Joyner-Kersee and Bruce Baumgartner are the other Americans recognized as individual medal-winners in four straight Summer Olympics. Rhode’s at five now, and at 33 years old, she’s not planning to stop anytime soon.

Read the rest of this article here: https://www.krqe.com/dpps/sports/summer_games/rhodes-drive-for-5-capped-by-skeet-gold-medal-sp12-jgr_4253676

We could not be more proud of you, Kim! I look forward to seeing that medal in person back in California. Thanks for inspiring us all yet again. You are a true champion in every sense of the word.

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I live in LA where I am a bit more used to a ‘have your people call my people and well do lunch sometime’ mentality, so I was a little surprised when plans actually started to materialize. But now here we are at a private ranch in Missouri shooting a buffet of Berettas and Smith&Wessons and just generally enjoying one anothers company.

Vital stats so far:

1 lost iPhone

1 dunked iPhone

3 bug bites (one on my rear end.)

1 small prank that I can’t tell you about yet (heehee)

More to follow….

Here is a little photo preview of our time so far:

Gracie McKee and Anette Wachter on the shuttle to pick up the car.

Shelley guarding the guns. The guys at the airport asked her if she had a keyboard. Um.... no.

4 Girls, 5 Guys (Burgers and Fries). A quick stop for some grub in STL and off we go!!

AMMO!!! A girl can never get enough.

A quick stop in to Wal Mart for some essentials.

My roomie, Lacey (she's adorbs) and me.

Almost time to shoot! Shelley is getting excited.

SHOOT!!! (yes, the reference to the book by Julie Golob is fully intended)

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Competence is sexy

One of the current memes going around the fitness world is “strong is the new skinny“, which aims to place emphasis on getting fit and healthy rather than just “skinny”.  It’s a sort of counter-culture movement aimed directly at the rail-thin fashion models and magazine covers that promote what is actually an unhealthy and unobtainable body image.

Read the full piece here: https://gunnuts.net/2012/05/25/competence-is-sexy/

Jessie Duff: jessieharrison.com

Julie Golob: juliegolob.com

Shelley Rae

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Women take up arms against threat of violence By Jason Burke/Chandigarh

When Dr Harveen Kaur Sidhu travels from her home in an upmarket neighbourhood of the northwestern city of Chandigarh, she always slips her lightweight .22 revolver in her bag. The gun is a new purchase – Sidhu got her licence only a year ago – but now the 33-year-old dentist won’t travel without it. “I don’t have faith in the police to protect me. There are so many attacks on women these days. It’s everybody’s right to defend themselves. I think all women who are vulnerable should be carrying guns,” Sidhu said.
She is not alone. A growing number of well-off, educated Indian women are turning to firearms for protection

Guns are increasingly popular with well-off women who feel that they should be able to defend themselves against crime

….

There are estimated to be 40mn guns in India, the second highest number in the world after the US.

…

“We are not trigger-happy people. We are looking at (using firearms) as a last resort. We see (guns) as a force equaliser,” said Rakshit Sharma, the [National Association for Gun Rights India] secretary general. His group, he said, receives “many inquiries from women who want to know how to obtain a gun and stay within the law.”

….

Kumar said only one in 50 purchases was made by women but the number was rising. Data obtained earlier this year under India’s new Right to Information law revealed that nearly 31,300 arms licences have been issued to women in Punjab and 31,026 of them have actually purchased arms. One recent enthusiast is Anita Dhiman Dass, who lives in Ludhiana, a prosperous centre of trade and farming 130km west of Chandigarh. Dass, 46, got her first gun three years ago, has three weapons on her licence and says a Ruger .22 pistol is her favourite.
“It’s so light. I put it in my bag when I go shopping, to the mall, to the market or wherever.

… (this is my favorite part:)

Like Sidhu, Dass said carrying a gun made her feel secure. Her husband, Ishwar, runs a car dealership in the town. His collection of 11 weapons includes hunting rifles and vintage shotguns. Dass said a four-year-old grandson was now “very fond of guns” and the family’s new puppy has been named “Sniper.”

Check out the entire piece:

https://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=507530&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — July 27 marks the one-year countdown to the opening of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, England. Coming off of its success in Beijing, the USA Shooting Team has continued momentum through successful World Cup seasons and Olympic qualification, creating high expectations and much anticipation for London.

Five members of the USA Shooting Team have already been nominated to Team USA. In shotgun, Kim Rhode (El Monte, Calif.) was the first American athlete nominated and will be competing in Women’s Skeet. Heading to London with four Olympic medals, Rhode is once again considered a medal contender. With a podium finish in London, Rhode will become the first American Olympian in an individual sport to win five medals in five consecutive Olympic Games. Staff Sergeant Josh Richmond (Hillsgrove, Pa.) of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will be shooting in Men’s Double Trap next July, following deployment to Afghanistan this fall to serve his country.

In rifle, two-time Olympic medalist Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.) will be competing in his third Olympic Games in Men’s 50m Rifle Three Position. Sergeant First Class Eric Uptagrafft (Phenix City, Ala.) will represent the U.S. in his second Olympic Games in Men’s 50m Rifle Prone. Finally, in Women’s 50m Rifle Three Position, Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, Pa.) will compete in her second Olympic Games.

Read the full post here: https://www.shootingwire.com/story/242082

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GG2G friend, Barbara Baird aka “Babbs in the Woods” put together this great article for the Women’s Outdoor News.  If you’ve ever wondered what the pros carry, look no further!

May 4, 2011 by Women’s Outdoor News

One thing about women shooters, they do not pack their guns away between competitions. Every one whom I’ve ever met who can legally carry in her home state, will carry a concealed gun. While in Las Vegas, at the SHOT show last January, I asked some shooting stars to reveal what they carry.

Smith & Wesson Model 42

Dianna Liedorff, a police officer of the Tulsa Police Department who shoots for FNH USA, also is an Oklahoma (CLEET) certified Firearms Instructor and a certified Oklahoma Self Defense Act Firearms Instructor. She carries a Smith & Wesson Model 42, Air Weight, .38 revolver. She carries it on her waistband in an appendix holster. Sometimes, she’ll carry it in a purse.

Dianna’s buddy, Tasha Hanish, also shoots for FNH USA and hails from open-carry state Arizona. She

Tasha Hanish. Photo courtesy of FNH USA.

carries her FNX semi-auto that she competes with, and she carries it in a holster on her hip. She said, “Most of the time, I carry at night if I’m by myself. With my kids along, it’s in my purse or in my car.”

Louisianan Kay Miculek said, ”That’s a hard question because I have guns for my clothes. In the summertime, I carry a Smith & Wesson .380 because it fits in my back pocket.” She continued, “In the winter, when I have more clothes on, I carry a Smith & Wesson 646 (revolver). I also have a Kahr 9mm. Kay prefers a small-of-the-back holster clip.

Randi Rogers lives in Georgia and shoots for GLOCK. She has been carrying since the day she turned 21. She says, “I carry the 19, the compact 9mm that GLOCK makes. I use a Mernickle holster on the small of my back, inside the waistband, and I think all ladies should carry!”

Julie Goloski-Golob on the cover of The Blue Press. Photo by Yamil Sued

Smith & Wesson’s Team Captain, Julie Golob, revealed that she carries a Smith & Wesson Model 442 in .38 caliber. She said, “I like how lightweight it is. It’s easy. It’s simple — you pull the trigger, it goes bang and it’s always there for me.”

Julie carries her gun in an appendix leather holster. She said, “I click it on my belt in my pants and it’s right there in front and ready to go. I sometimes carry a gun in my bag, but I haven’t really found that right bag!”

The right bag, the right holster, the right pants, the right belt. It all takes thought to get the right combination, and hopefully, none of these ladies will ever have to put their shooting skills to test defensively.

We thank them for revealing their undercover and carry options.

© 2011, Women’s Outdoor News. All rights reserved.

Our only question is: What does Babbs carry?

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