Dorothy Ludwig Olympic shooting Q&A

 On faith, firearms and family

By Yvonne Zacharias, Vancouver Sun July 11, 2012 12:08 PM

Dorothy Ludwig credits the Langley Rod and Gun Club for helping her train and qualify for the Summer Olympics in London.

My dad was a three-time Olympian. When he retired from competitive shooting, he started training my little sister and me. I like the sport because I got to spend a lot of time with my sister and my dad. I found that shooting, with training and practice, was something that I was pretty decent at. It was something none of my friends were ever doing so it was a very unique sport.

I am usually at the range about three times a week and each practice is about an houranda-half but it can vary between an hour and 2½ hours. In addition, I definitely make sure to include physical workouts in my routines. I go to the gym where I do both weightlifting and cardio and then I target various muscle groups that may or may not be specific to shooting. On top of that, we will do mental rehearsals, coping strategies, relaxation strategies and good things like that.

It was bittersweet to edge out my sister [Lynda Kiejko of Calgary] to become the only Canadian in this competition in London. I always want her to do well and see her succeed but at the same time, when competing against her, I also want to succeed and give my best so whoever wins, we're just happy for one another. This has been a dream of both of ours. It's hard to do but I am still fulfilling a dream. We have a really strong relationship and we can roll with the punches and the successes together.

My husband, Cam, isextremely supportive, very understanding and he can also see my passion for sport so he has been definitely instrumental in me being able to go to competitions. I owe a lot to him. There are times when you say, 'Now I have to train,' or you say, 'Now it's time to be with my family,' and there is always sacrifice either way you go. You have to decide what to do.

My husband and I work for Power to Change, a Christian non-profit organization. We deal with athletes and families. We deal with sending foreign aid to different locations that need help. We do drilling of water wells and a lot of missionary work. We also do a lot of work on campuses. We have a whole campus contingent that goes onto campuses and helps students to see if they have faith and learn more about Christianity.

My faith definitely plays into my sport. I take great comfort from my faith in God and just knowing that I am loved no matter what. It instils comfort but it also instils strength knowing that it doesn't matter what I do or how I perform or how I shoot. Those kinds of things won't define me and they won't be the end of my career. I am trained to do each and every shot one at a time and no matter what the last shot is you just move on to the next. I think training plays a big factor in that but also God plays a big factor in that.

The best thing that ever happened to me because I am an athlete is probably getting to know people and see places I would never have gone to. For example, I went to Croatia in 2003. It wasn't a place I had ever considered going to, but it's a beautiful country. The people are genuine, friendly. The cuisine is really unique.

My last meal before competition depends on the time of competition. My competition is usually in the morning so my last meal would be breakfast. I would eat things like toast or eggs or cereals, things that are familiar to me and that I enjoy eating. I wouldn't be eating doughnuts and strudels and cake.

When I am not competing or training you will likely find me at the park with my baby, Erden.

When I was little I wanted to be a ballerina.

If I wasn't an athlete, I'd be the same as I am now. I wouldn't have the athlete part but I'd be a mom and a wife and happy.

The last book I read was Ever They Fight by Eric Janzen. It is like science fiction. It is about a fellow who has a dream but believes that it is real and when he wakes up, he thinks, 'Wow, how could I have dreamed that?' It's kind of a neat little book and is really well written.

My favourite music is the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. They've got some really beautifully written pieces, both energetic as well as solemn.

My celebrity crush is actor James McIlroy, who is in Atonement and Narnia. I like the character he plays. I always feel a bit bad for him because he never gets the girl.

Dorothy Ludwig