Happy International Women's Day

Sights Aligned event thanks CISSA

Sights aligned new release

‘SIGHTS ALIGNED’ EVENT AIMS FOR BULLSEYE IN WOMEN’S GROWTH GOALS

Cayman 27 News Release as cover by Joe Avery

Camaraderie, intensity, and personal growth.

Women in Cayman are invited to ‘Align their sights’ on all this and more at the shooting range.

“I wanted to create an environment where women could come out and just be free and have a friendly and safe experience to have some personal development,” said Chanda Glidden, a sport shooting enthusiast and organiser of this weekend’s women’s only Sight’s Aligned event

She told Cayman 27 Sights Aligned is about setting goals and achieving results in competitive environments.

She said her passion for sport shooting has helped her focus on the steps it takes to hit the bullseye, in life, as well as on the target.

She hopes the event will introduce other women to the sport, and help create a positive and supportive atmosphere for them to break stereotypes, while learning a little bit about themselves.

“I have a target, it has a bullseye on it. I can look at that bullseye all day long, I can do everything, I can go full at it, but I ‘m not taking the steps, and aligning myself up right, I ‘m never going to hit it. So, to me, that’s the perfect example, the perfect forum to experience what we do in our everyday lives, and how that translates,” she said.

Sights Aligned takes place Sunday, May 22nd at the Cayman Islands Sport Shooting Association.

Sorry guys, it’s a women’s-only event.

Space limited to 25 ladies. Cost is CI$100. First 10 people to register will receive 10 bonus rounds of ammo. Contact Ms. Glidden at Cvglidden@gmail.com now to secure your space.

Authority and a Lavatory

Yes, from the title you must have guessed this is going to be quite the story.

A little over a year ago Prez and Range Master J inducted me into their school of "how to be a range officer". From a competitive viewpoint it was a great opportunity to learn the ropes and the rules of the game.

At that point I wasn't expected to do anything special, just observe and discuss. Until one particular Saturday early last year when the range got real busy with new members and it was all hands on deck. Ready to help I was deputized and dawned the neon safety vest.

At the end of several hours on duty, I took off the vest declared quite loudly that I was not putting it on again. This was met with a few looks of surprise, concern and finally the question why. I continued, "I will not become a range officer until you give me a bathroom"

Time went on and I continued to gripe about the bathroom situation...often! There were talks of a port-o-potty and jokes of private buckets in the bush.  I took them in good stride but held firm to my convictions of a proper toilet. Finally the bathroom was approved but the logistics had not been agreed. Towards the end of the year good ole Ales (aka Bob the builder) began building.

The bathroom project would take a few months to complete. Simultaneously Bob in his  role as regional director for Cayman was organising for Cayman to become a member of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) and for us to have special training to become certified international Range Officers for IPSC.

By the time the hustle and bustle of the holiday season was finished, so was the bathroom. And just in time for the arrival of our instructor, Al,  from the Jamaica Rifle Association for a two-day training course on the range.

At the end of an intense weekend I was certified as Cayman's first female International Range Officer for IPSC.

My fellow officers and I were excited to try out our new skillset and declared a competition the following weekend.

After working a successful day's competition I went I to the club house to cool off.

As I slid off the neon vest the memory of my yesteryear's declaration came rushing to mind. I laughed to myself and thought, "well how do you like that?" They got me to become RO and I got a bathroom. It couldn't have been more perfectly timed.




Now I'm not going to say that it happened all because of me as this was in the pipeline for some time.  But I love how things happen to fall together like that. ;-)

Sunshine & Gunpowder

When I originally decided to take a vacation to our southern neighbour, I was only planning to attend the Jamaica Invitational Pistol Tournament (JIPT) as a spectator. What a mistake that would have been!

It all started with a courtesy phone call to Al, the Regional Director for IPSC Jamaica, letting him know that I would be in his neck of the woods. Apparently my ability to say "no thanks" were at a loss for Al's persuasion and Jamaican hospitality because before I knew it I had agreed to shoot the pre-match and work the match as an Range Officer. #Sucker #TwistMyRubberArm

I wasn't planning to have my first overseas competition until June and my late entry to JIPT meant that I wouldn't be able to arrange to take my firearm of choice.  What had I gotten myself into?

But at least I wasn't alone. Bright and early that Thursday morning our Regional Director, Ales (aka Bob the Builder), and I boarded the flight and an hour later were in sunny Kingston, Jamaica.

Upon arrival we were met by Al and made our way to the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) for a tour of the range. After seeing the multiple pistol ranges and complex stages with tunnels, bridges and ropes (oh my!) I was super excited and yet again found myself wondering what I had gotten myself into.

  

But it was all good and I was in good hands.  The JRA team kept me fed and busy. And there was plenty to learn and see from super shooters like Robert Engh, Frank Garcia, Eric Grauffel, Lesgar Murdock, Chris Stump, Chris Tilley and Andrew Yap just to name a few. Everyone I came across was so friendly that I forgot I was at a competition...until the guns came out. Unlike in some other situations that just meant we were really ready to have some fun.

Just hanging around hitting some steel

I won't sugarcoat it, this was a tough match - 10 stages, approximately 300 rounds in the extra hot Caribbean sun.  It was more than I'd ever done - it was a marathon. Although I was lucky enough to find a very similar firearm to what I was used to, it just wasn't the same as shooting my Mae West. To add to that, my eyes were so tired that I couldn't wear my contacts which cost me a lot points. I was hot and frustrated. I wanted to quit and at some points even wanted to cry. Yet it was the best trip ever and here's why.

1. It got me over the first time jitters of competing away from home. The bonus was that it was a friendly competition so although there was pressure it wasn't as intense as it can get at other international comps. Those who have competed can related to the feeling of relief that comes with just making it through the first stage without incident (accidental discharge, misfires, jams or worst of all being disqualified.) My first stage, "A Quick Black and White Affair" was actually my best stage and that set the tone for me going forward. I placed 17th. I may have very well done a happy dance.

Cheers to surviving day 1

2. I now know what I need to put in place for the next trip. I now have a new appreciation for the importance of eye drops and magazine loaders. 

3. I got to learn a lot as a range officer. The stage I assisted with had a lot to offer in terms of understanding the science of shooting. Our ability to identify whether I shot actually hit the target first or was a follow through or ricochet after hitting a hard cover was of extreme importance because we then had to stand by our calls and explain it to the shooter. We also had to keep control of our course and make up for time that may have been lost on other stages.  Our team at stage 6 ran such a tight ship our competitors all left happy and we made it look easy.

With Andrew, Marc and Damian at Stage 6

The super squad preparing for Stage 6

4. I got to meet some amazing people. I'm not just talking about the world class shooters which is an experience in itself. I mean the many guys and gals at the JRA who make this all happen. Having that many stages with moving parts The Als and Andrews and Pauls who make sure the courses are all set up and running smoothly. Rudy who makes sure the Red Stripes are extra cold for when you're done a hot day's shoot and serves your bun and cheese with the friendliest smile.

And I can't forget my new Trini friend, Hoppy, who taught me the value and art behind custom molded ear plugs.

Me with Eric Grauffel :)

Hoppy making molds

Ales, Frank Garcia and me :)

Last but certainly not least were these two gems, Jalise and Justine Williams. At ages 12 and 10 they've only been shooting pistol for a year and this was their first competition outside the US. I'm not sure that they are at an age where they can fully appreciate what an inspiration they are to other females in the sport but nevertheless I have the utmost admiration for them. Not because they are little and cute but because they are passionate, talented, disciplined and displayed the such sportswoman like behavior. They also reminded me that at the end of the day we were there to have fun doing a sport we loved. That allowed me to let go of the mistakes I was holding on to about my performance. They truly embrace what it's like to shoot like a girl - giving their best regardless of their gender and age, all while have a good time. Plus, they purposely chose to go head to head with Eric Grauffel in the steel challenge and held their own proving even more why it's awesome to shoot like a girl.

#5. This trip made me appreciate how much I love my range family. I was fortunate enough to have a handful of my CISSA family there to support me in person.  Levi and Andy McB helped me load magazines because I'd forgotten my loader and my thumbs were on fire by half way through the match. They cheered me on and pushed me through those final stages. And those who couldn't be there supported me over instant messaging. 

I was particularly proud when my Andy McB came through my stage. He scored the most double alphas I'd seen all day on that stage and claimed second in his class overall. 

In closing, I say a big thank you to Al & Tanya Stewart, Andrew Gardener, the JRA team and all the 2015 JIPT participants for making my first away trip a great experience. See you all same time next year if not sooner!

1 shot, 2 shots, 3 shots.....more!

Intro to the IPSC action shotgun course this weekend. Loading 10 rounds at a time into a semi-auto shotgun and going as fast as you can really gets your heart pumping. 

So impressed that I got the flying pop up clay like a boss. But still lots of work to be done.

2016 will be the year of the shotgun.

Welcome to my world!

Related post: Breakfast of Champions 

Making CISSA "Herstory"

On 22 March 2015, I hosted an event at the Cayman Islands Sport Shooting Association range entitled "Safety On And Ready: A Woman's Guide To Firearms" as a fundraiser for my training and participation in competitions abroad.

My perception was that there was a significant interest from women to learn how to shoot but for some reason or another it was difficult for them to find their way to the range.

I will clarify, particularly for those of you reading this outside the Cayman Islands, that Cayman has strict gun control laws and CISSA is a members only club that has existed for over 30 years.  Despite the recent efforts to increase membership, there was still a very low number of female participants even for what is known to be a predominately male sport.

This made me curious and my gut reaction was that holding an all women's shooting event at the range would be a unique event that mutually benefited my fundraising efforts as well as CISSA's desire to have more female participation.

As I began to promote the event amongst my female friends the responses I got varied. Some loved the idea while others, who I mistakenly thought would enjoy it, informed me that guns were not their thing and politely declined.

Of course I knew that firearms are one the most controversial topics ever and I didn't expect everyone to love shooting the way I did but I was profoundly curious why this wasn't "their thing".  Was it because they felt that guns were bad? Did they think that they couldn't handle something they saw as being very powerful? Or was it just anxiety about being around a bunch of male strangers with firearms? I wanted to know!

After some thought and research I decided that this event had to be about so much more than a fun fundraiser. It needed to be inspiring and meaningful. It needed to get up close and personal with how women felt about firearms. It needed to give women the opportunity to have a safe and comfortable experience to draw their conclusion of like or dislike from. One that would leave them feeling more knowledgeable and empowered regardless of their views.

So with that in mind I wrote a message on my event blog stating that I completely accepted each woman's views about firearms and invited them to come out anyway. I also promised them that whatever view they walked in with, by the end of this session they would take away something valuable from this experience and have a better understanding of firearms and their place in our community.

On the big day, we had 24 women attend including Her Excellency, Governor Helen Kilpatrick. The participants ranged in experience, age and views, wrapped up with a flurry of excitement and anxiety.

After a brief presentation we split into groups. While one group was shooting under the care of CISSA's certified Range Officers the rest of us were engaged in conversation as to what they hoped to gain from the experience and learning about other women's experiences with firearms as well as some frivolous photo ops.

By the end of the day I had learned so much about the women in my community and they had learned so much about themselves. Some women had had negative experiences in the past and used this opportunity to face their fears. Other's while being nervous to begin with left with a new feeling of empowerment. There were also a few who were unsure of how they felt but allowed themselves to experience a something new and explore a new part of themselves. These women were all very brave and I thank them for allowing me to share this experience with them.

I know that if these ladies decide to apply for membership at CISSA or want to visit a shooting range in another country they will have some exposure and won't feel as anxious next time. Or if for some reason they find themself in a room with a gun they can safely get it out their way. And if they decide that guns aren't their thing after all they know exactly why not.

So in the midst of international women's history month, what started out as a simple fundraiser to assist me in realizing my dreams turned into something extraordinary. 

On 22 March 2015, with the help of my CISSA family, my immediate family and a couple of friends, we made history by making CISSA her story.