Amelie Eichinger-Noll is known on social media as “Amy9x19” – and the name says it all: the Austrian has been dedicated to shooting sports since childhood and is currently the only female certified shooting trainer in the civilian sector of defensive shooting in German-speaking countries.
Ms. Noll, you are the first female shooting trainer in the civilian sector of defensive shooting in German-speaking countries. Why do you think there are no other women working in this field?
In other sectors, such as the IPSC (International Practical Shooting Confederation) or in the executive sector, there are already some professional female instructors. I think the shooting sector is becoming more and more modern and open, moving away from a rather prejudiced, predominantly male-dominated subject to a more open and socially more recognized leisure activity. I don’t think that there are generally no more women in this work segment, but perhaps just not yet. I myself was very lucky to be able to enjoy very intensive and professional training. During the course, which I attended as the only woman in the group, I acquired all the necessary skills, from shooting skills to didactics, and with many, many hours of training, learning units, sweat, ambition and an exam in theory and practice, I earned the title of “trainer”. I hope to set a positive example here and motivate many more responsible and motivated women to become shooting coaches.
“I hope to set a positive example here and motivate many more responsible and motivated women to become shooting coaches.”
How did you get into shooting and how long have you been shooting professionally?
This step was actually a family decision, as my parents are enthusiastic shooters and ran their own shooting club for many years. The fact that my father, Heinz Eichinger, is an official shooting instructor himself and actively serves in an Austrian special forces unit meant that the subject of safety and shooting was never a taboo, but a very positive part of my everyday life. I was lucky enough to be allowed to inhale powder smoke at an early age and so, out of my own interest, I fired my first shot at the age of twelve – in a safe environment and under the guidance of my parents. I have been absolutely fascinated by shooting ever since. I have been pursuing my passion professionally since 2020 and am grateful every day for the privilege of being able to call my greatest passion my main job.
What appeal does shooting have for you?
As I am a very determined person and am always setting myself new goals, I have already tried out several sports in my life to find the right one for me. From tennis to wing tsun or jazz dance. However, I was immediately drawn to shooting because, on the one hand, I can continue to improve my own skills and compete with myself or in competitions, but also because I have a wonderful community around me that shares this passion with me. From solo training to training in a group, I can simply switch off wonderfully while shooting. It’s just me, my gun and the target – with full focus on the moments on the shooting range. It’s almost meditative.
“I was lucky enough to be able to inhale powder smoke at an early age.”
You regularly emphasize how important “safe handling” is when shooting. What is particularly important when shooting?
In my opinion, safety should always be the top priority when it comes to gun handling. I believe that it should be a shooter’s personal requirement to know how to handle their own sporting or work equipment safely – regardless of whether it is purely for sport, hunting or defense. This includes not only the basic basics, such as finger and muzzle discipline, but also topics such as safe loading and unloading, through to recognizing faults and how to rectify them safely. Simply acquiring a gun does not make a gifted shooter. Dry-fire training, live-fire training, professional exchange and much more play a role here, and not just the pistol, which is safely stowed away in the safe at home. I also try to make the topic of “safety” on my social media channels under the handle “Amy9x19” with the motto “Safe handling & having fun” with photo posts, training tips or short videos. Shooting can and should be fun, training should be enjoyable – and you can enjoy the hobby, but you should also be able to handle the equipment responsibly and, above all, safely. So, especially at the beginning, good training and then training, training, training.
“We are not wannabes, but professionals, where there really are plenty of opportunities to learn and train for everyone from complete beginners to absolute professionals.”
Who comes to you for shooting training? And do you see a trend towards more or fewer firearms or shooting training courses?
The clientele on my courses is really diverse – in the best sense of the word, they are completely “normal” people who want to improve their shooting skills. From surgeons to students who attend the courses with their grandmother, we really do have all social groups represented in the training. Together with me, there is a great team of trainers behind the course. The trainers include shooting instructors from the Austrian military special forces and the police, but also come from the civilian sector. We are the founders of HESA (Heinz Eichinger Shooting Training) and offer defense shooting (short and long gun) for civilians from beginners to advanced as well as for authorities. in special seminars. Our events and competitions are now also known beyond the national borders. We are also happy to come directly to the respective home range and event location, if desired and possible. However, anyone who thinks of helmets, plate carriers and camouflage when they hear the term “defense shooting” has a completely wrong picture in their head. I cordially invite everyone to visit the homepage hesa.amy9x19.com or simply visit one of our courses or events and get to know us. We are not wannabes, but professionals with plenty of opportunities to learn and develop for everyone from complete beginners to professional shooters. I’m probably the wrong person to ask about the trend towards more firearms in general – the gun trade should be consulted here. However, what I can already see – and with pleasure – is the increasing interest of gun owners in continuing their education and learning how to handle guns safely. And that’s exactly what I’m here for.
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