Sponsored shooters at the top levels of the shooting world have a dual role. They have to carry the flag for the brand in competition, as an athlete, but they are also brand ambassadors. In other words, they have to maintain upbeat public personalities and avoid scandals or negative publicity that could reflect poorly on the company they're representing.
Very few do the job consistently well enough, long enough to become completely identified with the brand they represent: Jerry Miculek at Smith & Wesson, Rob Leatham at Springfield Armory are two of them. A third member of that fairly elite club is Julie Golob, who's been Team Smith & Wesson since... well, I can't even rerecollect off the top of my head when she started wearing the blue and white.
I remember she was with Glock for a bit when she left the Army Marksmanship Unit, but it was so long ago that it was before I moved to Indiana from Tennessee. 2005? 2007? Anyway, I know I was still working at Coal Creek Armory when she signed with Smif, so it was a while back.
Which makes it kind of big news that she's split S&W for Springfield Armory. Good luck at the new gig, Julie!
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