Kirchseeon rifle duo with heart and passion at the top level

Created: 01/13/2023, 09:00

By: Olaf Heid

Two figureheads from Kirchseeon: Iris Buchmayer (left) and Isabella Straub are at home with Edelweiß.

© Photo: Stefan Roßmann

They are both model shooters in the Ebersberg district, both are prospective teachers from the same club in Kirchseeon and both are active in the air rifle Bundesliga.

BY OLAF HEID

Kirchseeon – Isabella Straub (30) and Iris Buchmayer (22) have dedicated themselves body and soul to sport shooting, both as active participants at the range and as trainers and volunteers.

But that's not the only thing that sets the two apart.

The duo lives in Kirchseeon and goes to the stand for the local rifle club Edelweiß. Straub and Buchmayer are friends and also form a carpool to go to training and the competitions of the LG Bundesliga club Germania Prittlbach.

Next weekend, 14./15.

January, they are in action together on their last day of Bundesliga competition in Wolnzach.

“Our goal is the Bundesliga final in Ulm in February.

We have to be among the top four in our southern group,” explains Straub, who switched from HSG Munich to Prittlbach (Hebertshausen municipality/Dachau district) for the 2014/15 season.

The 30-year-old, who is studying to become a teacher for primary school (major in math), had to struggle a lot with injuries (torn ligaments) and corona last year.

"I missed the World Cup and also part of the DM, couldn't start in the national qualifying competitions," she regrets.

Her best results in 2022 were two second places at the German Championships with the small caliber.

"Four years in a row I've been runner-up in the three-position fight, which I couldn't defend this year due to Corona," she says with a laugh.

And the Edelweiß functionary remains ambitious: DM Vice is only a stopover.

Straub would like to return to the national squad – the 2024 Olympics in Paris is her big goal.

The fact that many lectures and courses at the university take place online suits her.

While Straub is already part of the permanent Prittlbach "inventory", girlfriend Buchmayer is happy to be part of the squad at all.

"The power density is enormously high." She has increased her number of rings and has only recently bagged the qualification.

The Bundesliga competitions are tough because they are mentally very demanding and under completely different conditions than in round competitions.

“You shoot man-to-man duels and there are many spectators behind you who react to the number of hits.

That requires an enormous amount of concentration and stamina not to be distracted,” describes the 22-year-old from the district and Bavarian squad, who wants to become a high school teacher for mathematics and computer science.

Her heart is in the air rifle, she shoots small caliber "just for fun".

For a squad nomination, “you have to be good in both disciplines,” Buchmayer knows.

The experienced Straub is already multi-layered, also loves the three-position fight (“is more varied”), but also likes to manage wind, sun and the stronger recoil when shooting at a comparatively smaller target in KK.

For both women from Kirchseeon it is always high season.

Days off or even holidays are few and far between.

Training and competitions alternate at this top level without a break: After the Bundesliga, the qualifications for international comparisons, the European Championships, World Cup or DM are tempting.

Both are down to earth, know what they have in their clubs and are grateful.

In addition to Prittlbach and Edelweiß Kirchseeon, their sporting home is also the "Forstschützen-Verein", which was brought back to life in 2013.

Sports shooters will also find like-minded people and partners for training and competitions here.

“If you don't have anyone at home or there is only one, you can go here.

The club works really well,” says Buchmayer, who is supporting the youngest Gaus with increasing success (top rankings at district and Bavarian level).

"It's just nice to see when the training bears fruit."

Despite all their sporting ambitions, the two young women, who are at the top level, agree: “Sport shooting gives us so much.

We won't give that up.

We made a lot of friends and experienced a lot,” says Straub.

It's a passion - and above all, home.