Her smile can be captivating. She speaks intelligently and wears an innocent look. However, with a gun in hand she transforms into a fierce competitor.

Renee Rickhi is the only female shooter in Jamaica who competes in Shotgun (sporting clay), Pistol Caibre Carbine (PCC) Practical Pistol Shooting competitions.

This three-gun girl doesn’t merely compete in these competitions, but is known for her podium finishes in all three disciplines with a high degree of regularity.

Very few men even bother to attempt more than one discipline in the sport let alone three, so what inspired Rickhi to take on all three and so with such passion and competence?

Her love for the sport started when her father took her bird shooting as a child. That love further developed when she met her husband Robin, who was actively participating in shotgun and practical pistols competitions.

“I watched those matches in awe and wondered what it would be like to compete. He introduced me to the sport and taught me the basics and now I am having fun,” she said.

Rickhi, who is a graduate of St Catherine High and The University of the West Indies, said that shooting in the three disciplines despite the fun, also comes with challenges, as they are vastly different.

“For example, with the shotgun your focal point is on the target and not the sights, while with the pistol or rifle the focal point is on the sights while moving,” she pointed out.

She also indicated that training for all three and remembering what to do when competing in each discipline comes with high concentration.

When asked about shooting with or against men, the 42-year-old who is the assigned sniper for the All-Female Shooting Sensation, Super Six, said women in this sport are capable of competing equally at every level. However, they are mindful of the physical strength of the men which gives them the edge sometimes.

“Let’s look at a sensation, where we are in a competition and must sprint to the targets to shoot them. The men are going to get there first, but once we get there, we will be shooting down to the targets. If it is a situation where we are doing a challenge from the same standing position, then good luck,” she stated.

The challenge she made reference to is similar to one that took place at the Jamaica Rifle Association recently when the Super Six Ladies won the exciting Steer Challenge, pulverising a number of top shooters in the process.

In recent times, every aspect of her shooting has improved. This she credits to her involvement with Super Six and the meteoric rise of that all-female group.

“Being a part of Super Six has been phenomenal. It has showcased us and our talents and highlighted the fact that we can do whatever we set our minds on doing,” she commented.

According to her, it has given her the opportunity to continue growing, developing proficiency level and inter-personal skills. To date, she has no regrets about joining the group.

Like any other sport, the success of an athlete depends on strong support from behind the scenes. Rickhi is eternally grateful for the lessons taught to her by coaches Khaleel Azan and Anthony “TJ” Johnson in shotgun and pistol, respectively.

Her prowess in the pistol calibre carbine sub-machine gun is attributed to her husband, who apart from being her coach, is also her manager for the Super-Six Ladies and a certified firearm instructor as well.

In the immediate future, the farmer/businesswoman wants to continue working with her teammates, shooting all the disciplines and finding ways to get more women involved in the sport.

“My teammates are amazing. We enjoy shooting with each other because we tend to draw strength from each other,” she said.