Women of Team Winchester: Meet Maddy Bernau, Olympic Trap Shooter

From shooting with 4-H to the Tokyo Olympics, she's a woman to watch!

by posted on October 8, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Winchester Olympic Trap

Exciting news from the world of competitive shooting: Team USA Olympic trap shooter Maddy Bernau just joined the legendary clay-games shooters of Team Winchester. This young shooting phenomenon will compete alongside six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics...but here and now, she and Rhode continue their mission to serve as ambassadors for the Second Amendment and the shooting sports. 

Bernau, like many women who compete at this rarified level, started small. Her initiation into the world of shooting was her local 4-H club, beginning at the age of 12. Like many junior competitive shooters, she was instantly hooked by the focus, discipline and fun of shooting clay games. 

Naturally, you can't get to the Olympic level without a great deal of talent, but nurture matters as much as nature! She soon attended an SCTP development camp at the Olympic training center. From there, the path to the Olympics seemed inevitable.

Maddy began competing in international trap competitions, and quickly rose through the ranks by winning multiple junior and collegiate medals and competing internationally in Italy, Korea and Finland. At the 2020 Spring Selection Match, Bernau took the gold medal and qualified for a spot on the 2020 Olympic team.

“We’re very excited to have Maddy join Team Winchester and serve as an ambassador for our famous AA shotshells and the shooting sports industry,” said Matt Campbell, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “With her background of competing in clay target sports at a young age, she will serve as an excellent role model to new shooters.”
 

Latest

Deering Dice Roll
Deering Dice Roll

The Dice Roll of “Reasonableness”

If you are ever forced to use a self-defense-based justification in court following a defensive gun use, one of the factors a jury will consider is, “What would a reasonable person have done in this same situation?” The trouble is that “reasonable” is a pretty subjective term.

 

Women for Gun Rights Celebrates Inaugural National Summit Gala

The evening was a milestone for an organization founded on the belief that women have a critical voice in the national conversation surrounding the Second Amendment.

The Art of Open Sights

The two most important fundamentals of shooting are trigger control and sight alignment/sight picture. Learning the different types of sights and how to use them is half the battle.

The Armed Citizen® Reload September 18, 2026

Women fought off violent attacks by ex-boyfriends, defending themselves and their families.

Carry Elevated: Canik Prime Radian 9 mm Pistol

This fully tricked out custom defensive pistol is available at a fair price.

New Guns 2026: Henry Repeating Arms Founding Fathers Collection

The series honors the men who shaped the American republic: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton.

Women's Interests



Get the best of NRA Women delivered to your inbox.