Shamrock Twins on target, shooting for gold

SHAMROCK, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — For twin sisters Stormi and Codi Waters out of Shamrock, competitive shooting has become a major part of their life over the past six years.

The Waters twins began 4-H Shooting Sports in the third grade, as their mom Michelle Waters wanted them to learn gun safety. Now, six years later the twins have their eyes set on collegiate shooting and eventually the Olympics.

Codi and Stormi first began competitive shooting sports in the spring of 2019 during fourth grade and in April 2019 Codi was diagnosed with scoliosis and had to wear a brace 24 hours a day.

“I was in the brace for five years,” said Codi. “I started off my first year without the brace, because I didn’t know I had scoliosis yet, and then my second year, whenever we were in competition, I started with my brace, and it completely knocked out my core strength. I didn’t have any core muscles, and I had to have a totally different stance. So, it knocked all my scores way down, like extremely low compared to what I had been shooting.”

In August of 2020 Codi was able to start shooting without her brace, causing her to readjust her stance again. Now, five years later Codi is completely out of the brace.

“I started shooting without my brace, so I had to build up the core again and change my stance,” explained Codi. “So my scores fluctuated a lot, and I just got it completely off in April. So now I can still continue building it up even better, and not just having to take off my brace whenever I shoot and then putting it straight back on.”

A year after Codi was diagnosed with scoliosis, Stormi received the same diagnosis and brace treatment plan.

“I was only in it for about a year and a half, and so mine wasn’t near as dramatic as Codi’s,” explained Stormi. “I’ve been out of mine for quite some time now, so it didn’t really affect my shooting, because it wasn’t as dramatic.”

Codi and Stormi didn’t let scoliosis stop them from competing and winning. In June of 2019 Codi Placed High Over All in her first shoot and Stormi placed High Over All in her second shoot. In July 2020 the twins attended their first major shoot with Texas State Rifle Association and placed as champions in multiple events. In June of 2021 they won HOA Female at every 4-H event they attended in the district.

For Codi and Stormi competing in shooting gave them a second family and safe community to grow and meet people helping them work towards their goals.

“The community is a lot more welcoming,” shared Stormi. “We will go to shoots, and we’ll meet tons of new people. We’ve already met so many, like Kayle Browning and the Bartholow brothers, and we got to meet the Lindenwood coach, that helped a lot.”

The twins were also coached by Browning in November 2021, Browning won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Women’s trap.

With both Codi and Stormi having to wear braces due to their scoliosis, school could be challenging due to a lack of understanding from other students. But while they were shooting their braces were embraced by the community.

“They tried to understand it and they didn’t just call you out,” said Codi. “They tried helping, even kids our age tried helping with my stance, or if they saw something they tell me like to try and help me get better at my scores.”

The twins have traveled across the region, state and country for shooting and are coached by their dad Aaron. Their time spent traveling to competitions has allowed for a lot of family bonding and increased level of competitiveness.

“It makes me more competitive, because I want to beat her, and there’s multiple people on her level, so I want to try to beat everybody else,” shared Stormi. “I’m way more competitive than Codi, so it gets a little heated sometimes.

Codi welcomes the competition and support that she gets from having her sister by her side.

“It makes me less nervous, because I have somebody there,” said Codi. “I want to beat her, but also I want her to do good. If she’s running 100, I don’t want her to drop one, so she won’t place. But if she’s beating me, I’m glad that she’s beating me, and I want to beat her, but it’s not like extreme competitiveness as Stormy.”

While at competitions Codi and Stormi have sometimes tied and asked if they want to flip a coin to determine who wins. But the Waters twins aren’t shying away from any competition and always opt for shoot off against each other.

Both Stormi and Codi are set to begin preparing for the Junior Olympics and making adjustments to accomplish their goals.

“We’ll have to shoot a lot of Bunker trap,” said Codi. “I think the closest bunker trap is in Fort Worth, which is four hours away. So, I don’t really know how we’ll practice that much, because I’ve only shot it one time, and that wasn’t a full round. It’ll be a totally different trying to go up there and practice it, and a lot more work than normal trap.”

Since beginning competitions the Waters twins have also shot in the Texas 4-H State Games, where Stormi won Intermediate Trap Champion and Codi won Intermediate Sports Clay, third place.

At Grand Nationals ATA Shoot, Stormi won AIM Grand National Singles Champion Open Runner-Up, High All Around Female Sub Junior Champion and Team Champion. Stormi was also on the cover of Trap and Field Magazine in September 2022.

In February 2023 at Junior Shootout San Antonio Livestock Show, Stormi won American Trap Doubles, winning a $10,000 scholarship and placed second in American Trap winning $2,000. At the same competition Codi won second in American Trap Doubles winning $2,000.

Later that year in July 2023, they shot in the Texas 4-H State Games, where Codi won intermediate Trap Doubles Champion and Stormi placed second in intermediate trap doubles. They won first in intermediate trap team.

This year Codi won American Trap Doubles and a $10,000 scholarship at the Junior Shootout San Antonio Livestock show, and placed second in American Trap. Stormi won second in American Trap Doubles and High Overall Female winning a $10,000 scholarship.

At 4-H state they placed first in Three Man Trap team, along with Cooper Jennings and Stormi won second senior trap ladies. At nationals they won third place among junior teams in Skeet with Cooper Jenning and Rankin Pool and third place Sub Junior Class AA Trap Singles.

Stormi also won National Sub Junior High Lady in Sporting Clays and Codi won National Sub Junior Open Skeet, sixth place.

Stormi and Codi train at the Wheeler County 4-H shooting range. Wheeler County 4-H Shooting Sports, is one the of only locations designated specifically for 4-H kids. The facility was founded by Clifford Oldham to give kids a place to learn how to shoot, without the financial burden.

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