Lucimar after becoming vice-champion in the 2008 World Shoot

By just talking for a few minutes with Lucimar Rodrigues you will notice his love for Practical Shooting. Fifteen years of dedication to the sport, national and international titles and a lot of stories to tell.

The 54-year old athlete, who is competing in the Standard Senior division, is ready to compete in the shooting stages. Even after an unsuccessful operation on his right arm – the result of a serious car crash in 2004 – the athlete has maintained his physical fitness and returned to competitions in 2007.

In 2008, the year after his return, Lucimar was Brazilian champion and world IPSC vice-champion in that same category. Next week the athlete leaves for the XVI IPSC World Shoot on the island of Rhodes to achieve his new goal:

“I’d like to be world champion (individual) for the first time and twice-champion for the Brazilian Standard Senior team”, Lucimar says.

How did you discover the sport?

In 1996 the IPSC World Shoot was held in Brasilia and I went to watch with some friends. It was love at first sight! I fell in love with the Sport and the next week went to a shooting club to start practicing.

Why did you start practicing IPSC?

I combined the practical with the enjoyable! I’m a retired federal police officer. At that time, I was still working and very concerned about handling my gun – my work tool – with due safety. Besides really enjoying the sport I found that it would be an excellent activity for me to enhance my professional life.

"The competition is won by the most regular athlete

Did you find any problem in practicing this sport?

The most incredible thing about this sport is that you discover you never know it all. There are many techniques. It’s not as easy as it looks! The competition is won by the most regular athlete.

How often do you do physical exercise?

I’ve always liked to practice sports. I spent all my youth keeping fit and I even tried to play soccer but didn’t get very far. I’ve done karate most of my life. I was still a kid when I began and only stopped when I started with IPSC.

In my profession I’ve already been through a very tough battery of exercises. I now not only alternate walking and jogging but also do push-ups, abdominals and bodybuilding.

What are the benefits of fitness for an athlete?

For a match with the level of requirements of the World Shoot, physical fitness is the main asset. It can also prevent a serious injury. For example, I had undergo surgery – after suffering a serious car accident in 2004 – and the physician noticed that my muscles (strengthened with physical activity) “withstood” well so the facture was less serious than it could have been.

Bodybuilding strengthens the muscles and bones. When properly accompanied by a professional it can be a natural remedy against disease, fractures, etc.

I’ve been through a lot of setbacks but, even so, I’ve not given up sport and physical exercise. Even only three days after being operated, I started walking again and in 20 days was “trotting”.

How was your accident?

I was returning with other colleagues from a federal police mission in the second election round in 2004, when a car didn’t stop at the lights and hit our car. I was in the passenger seat with a safety belt but the passengers in the back weren’t wearing them. With such a strong impact, my belt didn’t secure the weight of the two behind me and they were thrown on top of me. My arm was stuck in the dashboard, which caused a comminuted fracture – the bone splinters. I underwent surgery that wasn’t very successful and because of a medical error my arm was twisted and I feel a lot of pain, depending on how I move it.

I was at a very good stage! I was training for the Mercosul Shoot. I only returned in 2007 and the next year (2008) I was Brazilian champion, team world champion (Standard Senior) and world vice-champion (individual) for the division.

After suffering a serious fracture in his right arm, Lucimar initiated a special training

How do you work with this physical conditioning under such restrictions?

I try to compensate part of the strength I’d have in my right arm – injured after the accident – with my left arm. Since I’m right-handed, my hand that should be the stronger is weaker. So normally I pay more attention to my right arm when training.

What was it like to be world team champion and individual world vice-champion?

It was a great surprise! And a fabulous feeling. Our adversaries usually have special equipment and support (sponsors) and we had none.

Even today I remember it with glee!

We in the Standard Senior team joke that altogether we have more than two centuries of experience. It’s a joke but this is an important factor for dealing with the stress of a World Shoot.

Today you give Practical Shooting classes. What tips do you normally give your pupils and what would you say to someone who’s competing in the World Shoot for the first time?

• Training: it’s important to keep at it. Work well at the shooting fundamentals and get really confident with the technique. Find a good shooting range;
• Physical fitness: this part of the training is very important for a long championship like the World Shoot. It’s six days long. If an athlete isn’t physically fit, by the third day he’ll already be exhausted;
• Keep physically, psychologically and technically fit;
• Have self-control and don’t try to do something you don’t know how to do;
• We have to place all our shots. Avoid delta and miss;
• The biggest secret of IPSC is to be accurate and maintain regularity. That’s how the athlete can earn good points.

What’s your goal for this year’s World Shoot?

I’d like to be world champion (individual) for the first time, and be twice-champion for the Standard Senior team.