Women in Sports

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19 women participated in the Port Jervis, New York NRA Women on Target Instructional Shooting Clinic; many came from the surrounding community and some as far away as Long Island. Mothers were accompanied by their daughters and some daughter bought their mothers! Guests came to learn about gun safety, shooting skills and the fun of marksmanship sports. The best was the assistants that helped in running the program and training the new shooters. Members of the Port Jervis-based Tri-States Rod and Gun Club, local FFWPU members, and volunteer youth helped with range duties, food concession and general support of the ladies who came. The classes were taught by Mrs. Lesa Ellanson, an NRA certified instructor; she was aided by numerous shooting enthusiasts, including her husband, Rev, Lowell Ellanson. Many thanks to those who helped and we look forward to the 2012 class.

(CBS News) The face of the American gun owner is changing. More women than ever are picking up rifles, shotguns, and handguns. And target shooting is one of the fastest-growing female sports. But, looks can be deceiving. We're not talking "Dirty Harriet" here, notes "Early Show" contributor Katrina Szish. Female participation in target shooting in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the last decade, growing to nearly five million women since 2001. Pistol-shooting mommas and rifle-wielding yoga instructors may not be the type of woman who comes to mind when you hear about female shooters, but they're dominating the sport. They say they shoot not only for self-protection, but because it relieves stress, helps them find peace and concentration and - feel feminine. For instance, Deirdre Gailey, who says, "I'm a yoga instructor, I work at a vegan bakery -- and I also like to shoot guns." Aren't guns and shooting the opposite of yoga's Zen experience? "Yoga's Zen-like quality can be applied to shooting guns in a lot of ways,' says Gailey. "Shooting guns takes focus, concentration, and it doesn't always have to be about violence." "(When I cook)," Gailey added, "I use a chef's knife. You have respect for a knife as a tool that you use in your craft. And I think guns can be used in the same way." The target shooting industry now caters to female shooters. There are pink pistols, and even purses with holster slots. "All of us are brought together by the love of the sport," says Lesa Ellanson, a certified shooting instructor for the National Rifle Association's "Women on Target" program. To those who say guns are masculine, Ellanson says, "It would depend on how you define femininity. I think a capable woman is the most feminine expression of power that…

Mrs. Lesa Ellanson is a lifelong devotee of the great outdoors. She manages New Hope Farms Equestrian Park, a renowned international equestrian facility in upstate New York. She is a nationally certified riding instructor with the distinguished American Riding Instructors Association. She has managed and taught horsemanship classes for teens and adults. Mrs Ellanson helped facilitate therapeutic riding on behalf of the Treasures of Heaven summer retreat for special needs children and their families. She is the founder of New Eden Equestrian Academy, Inc., a non-profit educational, athletic and religious organization committed to ethical horsemanship and animal welfare. Mrs. Ellanson is licensed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in wildlife rescue. She is the founding member of the Family Firearms Association, an NRA certified pistol instructor, and a certified Range Safety Officer. In addition to riding instructions, she teaches firearm safety and gives field training in shooting sports with exclusive sessions devoted to women and girls. For questions, comments and more information contact Lesa Ellanson at \n This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.