RSWC #108 Shirley Watral – Riding Shotgun With Charlie

Riding Shotgun With Charlie
#108
Shirley Watral
Instructor, Author, & DC Project Member

Shirley and I were both at the Florida Carry Speaker Event in 2021. I was only playing the Star Spangled Banner for the event, but I had my GoPro cameras should I have the chance to film a show. She was speaking at the event as an instructor, author, and as a DC Project member. I purchased her book in the summer of 2020, but didn’t know she was going to be there. I approached her and said “Hi, my name is Charlie. I’ve got a show called Riding Shotgun With Charlie.” She said ‘You’re the guy who interviews the DC Project woman as you drive around, right?”. I replied “Yes, that’s me. What are you doing for the next half hour? Do you want to be on the show?”

How can she say no?!?! I told her I have her book and would have brought it so she could sign it, but I didn’t know she was going to be at the event. She offered me another book (signed) but I had to give my copy to another woman. Which I did.

I learned about Shirley last summer. She attended the Ambassador Academy with some friends, and they told me she would be a great passenger for the show. I bought a copy of her book, Heels To Holsters, right away, but didn’t read it by the time we filmed the show.

Before she became an instructor, or even shot a gun, Shirley worked in an office. Unfortunately, she found herself in a relationship that wasn’t healthy. Shirley found herself held for 12 hours by her ‘boyfriend’. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happened, but it was a life changing event. At one point, she knew that she was either going to die… or survive. But it wasn’t going to be easy.

That day led her to wanting to become a firearm owner. After some trips to a range and six months researching which firearm to purchase, and then taking a class, her life mission was to become a firearm instructor and to help women become empowered to take control of their lives.

Shooting led to 3-gun competitions and instruction. She also was a gun range manager running classes and the shop. It was a long way from her days of working in an office. Eventually, she was asked by Dianna Muller (RSWC #059) to be in The DC Project to represent Florida at our nation’s capital. Her story is an amazing story for our anti-gun legislators to hear about why women are the largest growing demographic of new gun owners.

One of the things that I really enjoy about ‘my gig’ is that I can ask women who I haven’t met and ask them to be on the show. Many times, if they don’t know me, they know someone who’s been on the show. And being a passenger on ‘the stagecoach’ is something they’ll gladly do to get their story out to you!

You’ll find an amazon link to Shirley’s book below as well as links to her social media.

Favorite quotes:

“I love the shooting community. They’re so nice, so thoughtful, so helpful.”

“You’re either going to go out with a bang, so to speak, or you’re going to win.”

“He did attempt to kill me. By the grace of God, I’m here today.”

“I totally understand them. I know why it’s so hard to leave.”

“I learned how to become independent again. And I did that through firearms.”

“Just think of how many women you can help. I went ‘oh…that makes sense’.”

Shirley Watral Firearm Training

https://www.facebook.com/ShirleyWatralFirearmsTraining

Shirley Watral Firearm Training

https://shirleywatralfirearmstraining.com/