Skeet shooter finds accessible MDC range and coaching on target

KANSAS CITY Mo -- Katie Garcia rolls her wheelchair onto the skeet firing positions along with other powder-burning, target-busting regulars at the Lake City Shooting Range.

“Pull,” Garcia says, shouldering her 20-gauge shotgun as an orange-and-black clay pigeon spins skyward. The target splits into pieces after her gun booms. It’s another hit and time for a smile.

Outdoor sports were rare in her life until this spring when she discovered skeet shooting and a mentor, Richard Dale, a volunteer at the Lake City range.

“It’s fun,” Garcia said, “and I feel like it’s a sport that I can do on my own.”

But she had help getting started from the Wednesday-afternoon regulars at the Lake City skeet and trap range, which is operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) near eastern Independence and northern Blue Springs.

Garcia, 34, of Pleasant Hill, lost the use of her legs in 2000 after a skiing accident.

But the Lake City range is accessible for people who use wheelchairs for mobility. That includes the range’s pistol and rifle shooting lines and the classroom.

“We took a ladies gun safety course here and I became interested in doing the skeet shooting,” Garcia said. “They told me to come up here because the skeet guys all shoot on Wednesday.”

That informal group includes Dale, 67, of Napoleon, Mo. He began teaching Garcia the basics about handling shotguns and shooting accuracy. But both teacher and pupil found new challenges from a sport that alternates shooting positions and the directions that targets fly.

“For me, being in a wheelchair, I had to figure out how to position myself for the different shooting positions so I could be in the right place to shoot well,” Garcia said.

Dale, an experienced shooter, found himself studying the sport from a new angle.

“I can tell people how to stand and shoot,” he said. “But I couldn’t tell her the same, she had to figure that out for herself.”

Still, Garcia improved her accuracy and nuanced abilities at the same pace as other shooters he has coached, Dale said. Her wheelchair was no hindrance.

“My best round so far is (hitting) 21 of 25,” Garcia said.

Plus, she’s enjoyed the comradeship of Dale and the other volunteers and shooters who frequent the Wednesday afternoon skeet rounds.

“When I first came out here, Richard and the others helped me and worked with me every week,” Garcia said. “I don’t know if I’d be doing it now if they hadn’t encouraged me.”

Now, she’s got her own personal range gear and the goal to keep shooting better.

“I’ll keep shooting because it’s enjoyable,” Garcia said, “and I like coming out here to be with these guys.”

Shooters interested in opportunities and classes at the Lake City range can call 816-249-3194 or go to http://mdc.mo.gov/node/282.

A list of accessible MDC shooting ranges is available in the booklet “Disabled-Accessible Outdoors,” at http://1.usa.gov/sSCHM.