The crowd goes silent. Firmly, she lifts up the heavy pistol until she’s locked on the target. Then, she fires. Competitive pistol shooting is a complex sport, requiring both precise skill and great mental control. Sophomore Jia Lee is one of the unique few at Pinewood who has dedicated herself to this intricate sport.

   Lee started her journey four years ago when she saw an online campaign to join a shooting club.

   “My parents wanted me to try more options, and so we decided to explore it,” Lee said.

   Lee shares that she felt underestimated when she first started the sport.

   “Initially, my coach thought I didn’t have much muscle,” Lee said. “He thought that I wouldn’t be good, but through the hard training I did for around nine to twelve hours a week, I grew to be a nationally competitive athlete. That growth is what I’m really proud of.”

   On a typical training day, Lee starts by warming up, stretching, and practicing lifting her gun. She then practices around 60 shots and reflects on her scores.

   Like many other sports, the mental side of competitive pistol shooting is just as important to master as its physical aspect.

   “Pistol shooting is a very sensitive sport, so your mental control is very important,” Lee said. “Sometimes I struggle with keeping a calm state, so I practice meditation.”

   The anxiety and high-pressure situations in pistol shooting competitions has helped Lee learn about her tendencies and develop ways to regulate her stress.

   “For example, I need to prepare for [these high pressure situations] by either eating something to distract myself or doing more stretching,” Lee said.

   Lee attends around four pistol shooting competitions every year with three of them being national competitions.

   “I see every competition as an opportunity for growth to get used to the competition pressure,” Lee said. “I try not to think too hard about ranking, but rather how to improve my scores.”

   Lastly, Lee shares that her favorite part about competitive pistol shooting is self-growth.

   “[I love] the fact that it’s an individual sport rather than a team sport, so your growth and performance all depends on you,” Lee said. “It really helps you discipline your character and learn more about yourself.”