Page 24 - Leisure Living Magazine: Spring 2021 Edition

Distinguished Badge
Continued from page 23
pandemic but also with nerve ailments that kept her scores below a point-earning level.
With the close of the 2020 shooting season rapidly approaching, Paula decided to go to the 29 Palms Marine Base in California in November for one of her last EIC match chances – carrying within her a newfound modesty and resolve to capture those final points she had sought after for so long.
Though her emotions were up, her competi- tive game was down as she fired a sub-par offhand score to start out the first stage of her match.
“I was done for, and therefore totally relaxed and enjoyed shooting the rest of the match,” she said.
Her new leisurely approach to her final three firing stages, relieving her of any competition pressure, shockingly boosted her scores – enough to earn her the final points she needed for her own Distinguished Rifleman Badge.
“No one was more surprised than me to learn I had won the eight-point leg,” she said, proudly. “I had finally done it.”
As a way of commemorating the moment, her shooting partner (her husband, Greg) pinned his own Distinguished Badge on her hat.
“(Greg) most certainly helped make this pos- sible for me,” Paula acknowledged.
She also thought of all the others who assist- ed her along the way, saying, “I wish I could thank every person who gave me a tip, a word of en- couragement, picked up my brass or brightened my day after I shot badly.”
“The wonderful thing about shooting is you
can do it at any age on equal footing with every- one else,” Paula said. “No shooter accomplishes this without the help of others. I didn’t.”
Earn your Distinguished Badge. Distin- guished Badges are the highest individual awards authorized by the U. S. Government for excellence in marksmanship competition. They are awarded by the CMP and competitors can earn EIC points by participating in EIC Matches. Learn more on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/ or call or (419) 635-2141 ext. 714.
Camp Perry ranges are now open with ap- pointments available. The CMP is happy to invite the public to the Gary Anderson CMP Compe- tition Center, featuring electronic targets, with protective practices in place for staff and guests. The indoor air gun range is open five days a week and rental equipment and pellets are available for a small fee. Petrarca Range is open on Mondays for pistol and highpower rifle. To set up an ap- pointment for your spot on the firing line, please call Catherine at 419-635-2141, ext. 704.
She earned her “hard leg” 10 EIC points during the National Matches at Camp Perry in 2019.
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