{"157891":{"#nid":"157891","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Allen Aims for Olympic Shooting Team","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe solitude of the shooting range. The careful adjustments to the pistol\u2019s sights. The feel of her fingers wrapped around the grip, poised to pull the trigger.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile some read a book or take a yoga class to de-stress, Kara Allen finds relaxation and focus in a visit to the shooting range and the process of setting up the perfect shot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen you\u2019re shooting, it\u2019s you against yourself,\u201d said Allen, vice president for events and campus relations for the Alumni Association. \u201cYou have to have confidence in yourself to be successful.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAllen, whose mother was a member of both the 1992 and 1996 Olympic shooting teams, began shooting at age 12. She participated in several Junior Olympics, National Championships and even placed third at the U.S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter making it to the World Championships in Barcelona and Atlanta World Cup in 1998, Allen decided it was time to take a break to focus on her studies and start a career.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBut by 2011, I realized that I missed shooting competitively and that I wouldn\u2019t be content unless I tried my hand at making it to the Olympics \u2014 and winning the gold,\u201d she added. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring peak training times, Allen spends between 40 to 50 hours training per week. She practices shooting at her home, Sandy Springs Gun Club and drives to a shooting range in Anniston, Ala., every Tuesday.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause shooting is such a mentally challenging sport, Allen also sees a sports psychologist once every two weeks. Finally, there\u2019s additional physical training to strengthen her core and work on balance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m glad I\u2019m pursuing this dream as an adult, because when I was younger, I didn\u2019t have the focus that I have now,\u201d Allen said. \u201cNo matter what happens, I\u2019ve already learned so much about myself.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead on to learn more about Allen and her time at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did you arrive in your current position?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy dad is a heart surgeon, so when I was little, I wanted to be a doctor \u2014 and then I took chemistry in college. So I became a sociology major who fell into event planning. About eight years ago, I was working as an alumni events manager at Vanderbilt University when a friend suggested that I apply for a similar position at the Institute. I knew I\u2019d enjoy the events aspect of the job, but I didn\u2019t realize how much I\u2019d enjoy the campus relations component.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDuring an average day, what does your job entail?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI oversee the coordination of events ranging from the Pi Mile Road Race to Homecoming to Tech\u2019s biggest donor dinner, the President\u2019s Dinner. In terms of campus relations, I\u2019m responsible for ensuring students understand the value of a lifelong relationship with Tech, while they are on campus and once they graduate, which means I work a great deal with the Student Alumni Association.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the most satisfying part of your job?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of my favorite quotes is \u201cNothing in this world has been accomplished without passion.\u201d And this describes our students to a \u201cT.\u201d Tech students are so driven and dedicated, and I\u2019m always amazed by them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your favorite spot on campus?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor me, it\u2019s more about favorite traditions than a favorite spot. For example, I love walking by the Mickey Mouse clock or seeing students wearing RAT caps.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is one piece of technology you can\u2019t live without?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy iPhone. It\u2019s a tool that helps me balance work with my dream of getting to the Olympics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your favorite piece of advice?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKeep calm and carry on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell us something about yourself that others might not know.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen my sisters and I turned 14, we each went on a hunting trip with my father. There was one requirement for the trip \u2014 that whatever we hunted could hunt us. I shot a bear on my trip, while one sister shot a mountain lion. The other sister went a slightly different route. The terrain she had to navigate was more life-threatening than the mountain goat that she shot.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe solitude of the shooting range. The careful adjustments to the pistol\u2019s sights. The feel of her fingers wrapped around the grip, poised to pull the trigger.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The solitude of the shooting range. The careful adjustments to the pistol\u2019s sights. The feel of her fingers wrapped around the grip, poised to pull the trigger."}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2012-09-28 17:01:41","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:54","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"157841":{"id":"157841","type":"image","title":"Kara Allen","body":null,"created":"1449178883","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:41:23","changed":"1475894792","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:32","alt":"Kara Allen","file":{"fid":"195337","name":"kara_fishing.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kara_fishing_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kara_fishing_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":174428,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/kara_fishing_0.jpg?itok=FOIa5nrn"}}},"media_ids":["157841"],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"596","name":"Alumni Association"},{"id":"45031","name":"Kara Allen"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.pavlik@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Pavlik\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-4142\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}