Tonja Hofner

Profession:

Engineering Manager

Family Information:

Single, no kids

Favorite Color:

Green

Favorite Food:

All kinds of salads & tempura

Fun Facts and Unique Qualities:

I volunteer for the Palo Alto Police Department (PAPD) in their ID Theft & Fraud Division. Before becoming an engineer, I wanted to be in law enforcement (LE), but was too young at the time. Volunteering for PAPD allows me to do something good for my community, exercise my continuing interest in LE and utilize my Criminal Justice degree.

Hobbies, Interests and Other Talents:

Marksmanship, Criminal Justice, Martial Arts, Ballet, Opera, Tennis, & Skiing

USPSA Divisions in which I compete:

Limited, Limited-10, Open & Single Stack

My classification(s) within USPSA division(s):

My USPSA
Area is:

Area 2

How I first got into shooting:

In 2007, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Our CJ classes included everything from correctional systems to trace evidence and ballistics. Ballistics and firearms caught my attention. After graduating, I decided that it was time to experience the practical side of firearms. I enrolled in several Safe Handgun classes in the Bay Area and focused on defensive shooting at first. I then joined an indoor shooting league in April 2008. After competing "stationary" for a while, my coach introduced me to practical shooting in June of 2008. I liked it so much that I kept returning to shoot local USPSA matches every week.

My preferred shooting
style:

Fundamentally, I am all about precision. The more "A" hits the better. However, I realized quickly that stages are not just about accuracy, but also about time. Now, I am trying to have a healthy balance between speed and precision. “Balance stages", where you have to keep your balance yet shoot fast and accurate, are my all-time favorites. “All steel" stages are also my forte.

Why I like shooting USPSA matches:

Practical shooting (USPSA) provides a terrific platform for those who like to be active outdoors and shoot competitively in a controlled environment. You also get to meet great people and learn from a variety of shooters and their skill levels. Ever since I started shooting USPSA matches, I have enjoyed wonderful company and my shooting has greatly benefited from watching the different shooters execute stages in different ways. Most (if not all) USPSA affiliated clubs also offer shooters involvment in RO duties and stage design. Both activities allow the shooter to gain a better understanding of USPSA rules and how stages are designed and perceived. I greatly appreciate that aspect of shooting USPSA.

What I would additionally like you to know about me:

As you can see from the first part of my profile, I am a novice shooter with a total of 2 years of marksmanship experience. I have about 1 year of USPSA competition under my belt, which is not a whole lot considering that I am heading to my first Nationals (!) in less than 1 week. Moving forward in my career as a competitive shooter, I would like to enhance my shooting skills significantly over the next few years. I realize that it will take time to hone these skills, along with a lot of practice (both at the range and dry-firing at home). Having a great coach and fellow shooters by my side, who never miss the opportunity to provide great advice, makes me look forward to reaching my ultimate goal of becoming the best I can be in this sport.

My favorite USPSA event is:

Any of our local Richmond Rod & Gun Club Level-1 matches, as the level of skills you are finding there is quite versatile! The squad I am shooting with is terrific and I am learning a lot from each of the members.

Additional Comments:

Profile Updated:

September 7, 2009

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