Shooting trailblazer is still in the game

Dr. Susan Nattrass jokes that even her gun is older than her competitors. She has been shooting longer than most of her teammates have been alive. "Theyre more like daughter ages," says the Medicine Hat, Alta. native, laughing.

She loves it. Its exactly what shes worked for.

At age 57, Canadas top female trap shooter is gearing up for her sixth Olympic Games. More than 30 years have passed since Nattrass took the line at the Montreal Games in 1976 to become the first female shooter in Olympic history.

Now looking at the field, Nattrass sees more than 100 women where she used to see none.

"That has probably been the most exciting thing about being in the sport this long, is to see the girls competing, to see the sport grow so much," she says.

Skeet and trap shooting

Nattrass was at the head of a battle to include separate womens events for skeet and trap shooting at the Olympics, a goal that was realized in 2000. The Sydney Games marked the first time women competed head to head in trap shooting, which sees competitors aim at speeding clay targets. Skeet shooting had been open to both sexes at the Olympics until it was relegated to men only in 1996. The Sydney Games marked its return for women.

"I fought for five years to have separate womens events," says Nattrass, who trains in Vancouver and lives in Washington state. "To see its popularity now is very rewarding. The number of women in the sport has more than doubled."

Her mother and coach, Marie, 88, has been along for the whole ride. She wont be making the trip to Beijing, but was in Montreal 32 years ago when her daughter was the only woman competing in a field of men.

"It was quite exciting for her to be at the Montreal Olympics, and it was exciting for the sport," says Marie. "I think she has been the forerunner for women in the sport. Shes been great for the sport. Thats not just a mother talking, you know."

Topped Gretzky

A medical professional who heads up an osteoporosis research clinic based in Seattle, Nattrasss shooting career includes seven world championship titles beating out Wayne Gretzky for Canadian Athlete of the Year in 1981 two World Cup gold medals, and an appointment as Officer of the Order of Canada.

Nattrass is a name old and young shooters have come to know.

"I get a lot of young women come up to me and say, you know, My coach told me this about you. Its very nice," she says. "I guess I do consider myself a trailblazer, and I know the women around the world who know what I went through to get those events for women are very appreciative.

"I remember when I was talking about retiring, some of the Italians said, Oh you cant! Whos going to fight for us?"

Nattrass is talking the retirement talk, but nobody is listening. She says Beijing will be her final Olympic appearance. She plans to retire in 2009, marking 40 years on the national team.

"Everybody laughs about this, because nobody believes its going to happen," she says. "My teammates and my friends competing dont believe Im going to be retiring, and my family dont believe it but I keep saying it."

Olympicmedal in sight

What Nattrass does want before she hangs up her competitive gun for good is an Olympic medal. The older she gets, it seems, the closer she comes. At the 2000 Sydney Games she placed ninth. Four years later in Athens she turned in her best Olympic trap shooting performance with a sixth place finish. Her latest World Championship gold medal came in 2006.

"My goal is to medal at the Olympics," Nattrass says. "Theres no ifs ands or buts on this one. Thats my goal."

She will be the oldest shooter to line up and fire at the Games and by quite a margin, she notes.

"Some of these girls Im competing against are in their teens, which is quite disgusting," Nattrass says, laughing. "Im not doing bad for an old woman."