Emily Blount, A Shooter's Story
I am Emily
Susan Blount from Tucson, Arizona, a junior at the University
of Arizona. I am a student of the Honors College and I am majoring
in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Math. I am 19 years
old, 5'5" tall with blue eyes and long blond hair. I am
a life member of the NRA, have a lifetime Arizona Hunting License
and I am a Life Member of the Tucson Trap and Skeet Gun club.
How it all started: At the
age of 12, I asked my dad, Larry Blount, to teach me how to skeet
shoot so that I could hunt dove with him. I was tired of being
his ‘bird dog’ and wanted to shoot alongside him. The skeet “bug”
bit me and I started to shoot registered competitions half a year
later. It became a family event to travel the country with my
father and brother, Matthew Blount, and shoot American skeet competitions.
I found shooting such an appealing sport because the community
of shooters is full of wonderful people that become life-time friends.
For a new shooter, finding a sport so supportive and fun was a
big attraction. Within that year I shot my first 25s (perfect
scores) in almost all of the competition gauges. I was on the 2002
National Skeet Shooting Association All-American Sub-Junior Team.
The next two years I advanced onto the All-American Junior Team
and later to the Ladies Honor Squad.
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Olympic career start: In
June 2003 I received a written invitation to the Olympic Training Camp
in Colorado Springs! The Olympic Training Camp was where I first shot
International skeet. My initial scores averaged 12 targets out of 25.
I improved with wonderful coaching, switching guns, lots of practice,
and great support from the other juniors. I received coaching from Coach
Lloyd Woodhouse, the USA Shooting National Head Coach. Coach Woodhouse
loaned me his Krieghoff K-80 shotgun to continue to practice with when
I went home. The Camp concluded with the 2003 USA Junior Olympics. I
won gold medal for Lady Junior 2 Division. And that is how my Olympic
career started!
After camp, Coach Woodhouse invited me to
join the National Junior Olympic Shotgun Team (NJOST)! He said I work
hard, have a great positive attitude and a talent for shooting. Since
the NJOST team, I have advanced onto the National Development Team, the
National Team, the World Cup team, and the World Championship teams.
My goal is to make it onto the United States Olympic Team for 2008.
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Biggest Achievement: At
the Selection Matches for the 2006 World Shooting Championships
I was the top Junior Woman on the team going to Zagreb, Croatia
this last August. At the World Championships I shot lights out
with a score of 71 hit targets out of 75 total targets thrown.
I also shot a perfect score of 25 hit targets in my last round.
I now currently hold the Junior Woman Skeet World Champion title
with the gold medal! It was a very emotional experience to stand
on top of the podium and listen to the US National Anthem play
as our flag rose into the sky. I cried tears of joy and I imagined
that I will be in the same position at the Olympics. |
Most recently: In
May I completed the second half of the selection matches for the 2007
World Shotgun Championship Team. I won the junior ladies event, and
I will be going to Cyprus this September. Also last June I competed
in the USA Shooting National Championships at Kerrville, Texas. I won
the Junior Ladies skeet event and I slipped into fourth place for the
open women category.
What’s Next: In
August the first half of the Olympic Selection Matches will be held in
Colorado Springs. Then in September I will travel to Cyprus for the
World championships and after I arrive back I will go back to Colorado
Springs for the National Junior Olympic Shotgun Championships.
taken by Catheryn Czubek
My dad, Larry Blount and I are out on the field for a typical
day of practice
