#117
Gabby Franco
The DC Project
Top Shot, Season 4 & 5
Cartel Crew on VH1
Gabby Franco and several other members of The DC Project were going to be speaking at an event in New Jersey. With some simple coercion from a friend, I was talked into going. All of the women speaking have been on RSWC except Gabby Franco. I sent her a message, explaining who I am and what I do, and who else has done the show, and asked if she would be able to film a show. Of course, she agreed. Gun people are the best people!
Gabby grew up in Venezuela, in a family full of women. Venezuela was very different at the time when Gabby’s dad went to get a concealed carry license and saw the range had a junior shooting team. Her name, Franco, translates to ‘sniper’ in Spanish, which kind of set the tone for her life. By the time she was a teenager, she was shooting pistols competitively. At 16 years old, she found herself shooting to be on the Venezuelan Olympic shooting team.
While at a fair in Miami, she ran into another Olympian she knew from Australia 2000. They talked about how Gabby could get a visa to come to the United States. After a year, she took a suitcase and moved to the US. She got a call from the Venezuelan Shooting Federation to go to Finland for the World Cup and Brazil for the South American Games. She took this opportunity to go to Brazil, where she has always wanted to go. She won 3 Gold Medals in Brazil and then retired.
After she got to America, she worked in some firearms stores in Miami and her firearm education continued. For a while she was working at an office supply store and teaching firearm classes. Her brother sent her a notice that it was the last week to send in an audition for The History Channel’s Top Shot, Season 4. She was still selected despite not having everything they wanted. She had to quit working at an office supply store and take the chance to be on the show. Despite being eliminated from Top Shot on a 1500 yard shot, she came back for Season 5. But she loved the experience of being on the show.
After Top Shot, she was asked to teach firearms courses to women around the country. During this time, she took time to visit the area and get to know the local people across the country. Eventually she was asked by Para Ordnance and Remington to be a sponsored shooter and instructor. When Walther asked her to be one of her sponsors, she jumped at the chance because she used a Walther at the Olympics.
For years, she was paying attention to politics due to what was happening in Venezuela. She became very vocal about the Second Amendment and was asked by Dianna Muller (RSWC #059) to be a member of The DC Project. The DC Project goes to Washington DC to speak to our legislators about how the firearms laws affect women.
Most recently, she filmed part of a show with VH1’s Cartel Crew, teaching some of the cast members what firearms are really about and that they’re safe if you use them properly.
Gabby has been an influence to everyone in many ways. After watching this episode, you’ll be inspired to. To get others shooting. To get involved with calling legislators. And to do more for the Second Amendment.
Favorite quotes:
“It turned into loving the discipline, loving the personal growth.”
“I remember falling in love with the activity. And everything that entitled.”
“I know that, from my heart, I’m going to leave everything out there.”
“Society is so easy to be manipulated.”
“The pattern isn’t for more freedom. The pattern nowadays is for more restrictions.”
Gabby Franco Website
https://gabbyfranco.com/
Gabby Franco Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/gabbyfrancotopshot
Gabby Franco Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/gabbyfrancots4/
Gabby Franco Twitter
https://twitter.com/gabbyfrancots4
The DC Project
https://www.dcproject.info/
You need to join the Second Amendment Foundation
http://saf.org/
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
https://www.ccrkba.org/
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Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie sponsors and supporters.
Keyhole Holsters
Veteran Owned, American Made
http://www.keyholeholsters.com/
Dennis McCurdy
Author, Speaker, Firewalker
http://www.find-away.com/
Or listen on:
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565
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Self Defense Radio Network
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