Shotgun skills take Abilene teen across the globe

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) — At 10 years old, Abilene native Micaela Velasquez was searching for a sport to call her own. After trying several, she picked up a shotgun — and never looked back. Now, the ATEMS junior is set to compete on the world stage in Women’s Trap.

Velasquez has been involved with the Abilene 4-H Club for many years, but it was in 2021 when she decided she was up for another challenge and began to compete in USA Shooting Olympic Trap. Not knowing that gun she picked up as a young girl will one day take her around the world.

While she was competing across the United States, her life took a significant turn at the 2025 USA Shooting Selection Match held in Palm Beach, Florida. There, she earned a spot on the Junior National Team for athletes aged 21 and under. Impressively, she also achieved a high enough score to compete in Women’s Trap against athletes over the age of 21. She is preparing to participate with this team at the World Cups scheduled for April 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Lima, Peru. Additional competitions will be held in Nicosia, Cyprus, in May 2025, and Lonato, Italy, in July 2025.

“Shotgun really stuck out to me. So, I just wanted to try it and after I hit my first target, I was really stuck with it and decided to keep doing it. Eventually I decided it’s not just like a project anymore. To me, it’s more so a sport,” explained Velasquez.

While shooting sports are typically male-dominated, Velasquez is only using that to fuel her to work even harder. While competing, her favorite part is meeting other female players and joining forces.

“When I first started out, my motto was ‘make the boys cry’ because I thought it was really cool to see them cry and stuff like that. It’s really cool because I don’t see a lot of girls in my sport, so when I do see them, I’m kind of like, oh, I want to be teammates with you!,” added Velasquez.

She encourages young girls who are interested in the sport to persevere and continue pursuing their passion.

“Don’t stop. Once I started doing this, I had some hesitation in the beginning, like ‘Well, I’m not really doing that well.’ But since I kind of kept with it, it was like really fun. I’ve met some new people, made a lot of friends, got to see some really cool people, met some Olympians,” said Velasquez.

Micaela is a junior at ATEMS High School. After graduation, she plans to attend a college with a shooting team and one day make it to the Olympics. She thanks her parents, Rudy and Rebecca Velasquez, for their sacrifices to help her achieve her dream.

In April, she begins a new journey to South America, representing Team USA. Due to financial restraints, she is currently fundraising to help with training, travel, competition throughout the shooting season, and, most importantly, getting to the competition.

If you are interested in sponsoring Micaela, you can email her parents at rvelasquez.abilene@gmail.com. They are also hosting a raffle that will run until the end of April 2025, with tickets at $10. The prize is a 700 Winchester Mag with a Vortex Scope 3-9×40.