Julie Golob's career as a competitive shooter has been nothing short of impressive.
When people ask Julie Goloski Golob what she does for a living, the answer is never what they expect. Then again, few would ever expect someone to make a career out of competitive shooting for more than 30 years.
Golob's three decades in the sport have culminated in one gold medal (2017 Lady Classic), two silver medals (2005 Lady Standard and 2011 Lady Production), one bronze medal (2014 Lady Production) and seven Ladies Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championship gold medals.
Additionally, she's claimed two U.S. IPSC Nationals Lady titles and 13 USPSA Handgun Nationals Lady titles.
Before Golob's 50 world and national titles across seven different shooting disciplines—and all the records she's set along the way—she was finding her love for shooting at the range with her father, Pete Goloski.
"It wasn't long before I knew I wanted to give competitive shooting a try," she said.
And, it didn't take long at all. She entered her first match at only 14 years old and was hooked. From there, it only took three years before she was competing for the national championships as a junior in high school, which drew attention from the US Army Shooting Team, who ultimately recruited her in 1994.
"Becoming a soldier was my first job," she said. "Shooting became my life."
By 1999, Golob was named the U.S. Army Athlete of the Year after competing at the USPSA Nationals and winning the Limited and Open Division.
It wasn't until 2002 that she decided to pursue a professional shooting career, but she really started hitting her stride in 2006 when she became the first woman to ever win three Divisions at the USPSA Nationals (Production, Single Stack, Limited-10).
Then in 2011, she won the Production and Revolver Division at the USPSA Nationals, making her the first shooter to ever win all six divisions.
However, shooting eventually became more than a list of accomplishments for Golob, but rather a different lens through which she viewed life.
Shooting sports not only helped her learn how to set goals and achieve them, and they took her around the world, competing all around the United States and six total continents, all with a gun on her hip. But beyond the trophy case, she wears many hats.
"I'm an author, a hunter, a speaker, a brand ambassador, an instructor, a wife and a mother," she said. "I love sharing skills and knowledge with fellow shooters, especially those new to gun ownership. Helping newcomers become competent with their gun handling and shooting skills, along with showcasing that safe, responsible gun ownership is not only rewarding, it's also great fun. Encouraging my own daughters and other young girls to learn to shoot gives me great joy and a way to pay it forward to all those who supported me on my journey."
Few shooters ever experience Golob's level of success, and even fewer shoot long enough to gain as much perspective.
Find Julie's Books on Amazon: Toys, Tools, Guns & Rules and SHOOT: Your Guide to Shooting & Competition
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