From Training to Triumph: Paige Chan Wins Women’s ACE VR Division

H-Hey! It’s Paige-Chan here, ready to tell you my story of how I won the ACEVR Competition for Women!

I was getting ready for the National Rifle Association Convention, which was a whole weekend event filled with many gun booths and tools. Johnny Winn called me to explain that there was a shooting booth for AceVR where people could compete. The top three male shooters would win a prize, along with the top kid shooter and the top woman shooter for the day.

Johnny Winn and Fenwah had already made their first attempt that Friday at the NRA Convention. They were so close to winning but fell short. Determined to avenge their results, they hoped to bring me along for the win as well.

That morning we all met at my house to train before the event. Johnny Winn had a strategy. He knew there would be courses on AceVR to help us prepare for the challenge ahead. Training at home was valuable, but we all knew it would be different under pressure. Still, we practiced as much as possible.

My biggest obstacle was the Lone Star and the Cowboy Saddle. I forgot the exact name, but it’s the one that spins when you shoot it, with four steel targets on the top and four on the bottom. We drilled it over and over again, and it felt like we were practicing morning, night, and even in the bathroom! But time was ticking, and we only had a few hours left before the convention closed its competition window.

When we arrived at the convention, we walked inside ready to face our challenge. We headed straight to the AceVR booth, where I got to meet some of the welcoming and kind AceVR crew Johnny had connected with the day before. We also met Mr. Rasengun there, and he wanted to give it a go too! It was exciting to see the long line of people waiting to try AceVR.

Johnny went first, and then Fenwah. They gave it their best shots, but their scores weren’t high enough to reach the top three. Disappointment washed over my senpais. Then, it was my turn.

I put on the Meta Quest VR headset and braced myself. Each person had only three attempts to post their best score. Every shot mattered. I ran my stage. Pew! Pew! Pew! Despite hitting gold multiple times in practice, the highest I reached here was silver. The pressure of the crowd, the map, and the weight of it all got in my head.

When I looked at the iPad, I saw I had reached second place on the women’s leaderboard. The first loser! Part of me was proud at how high up I placed, but disappointment still lingered. Only the top woman would win the prize. As we walked away, the whole Tactical Playground team felt the sting of falling short.

That’s when Johnny patted me on the shoulder and said, “Hold on… what if first place doesn’t show up?”

We laughed at the thought, but I could see the spark in Johnny’s eye. It wasn’t just a joke, it was hope. We turned back and waited for the results.

At 2 o’clock sharp, the winners were announced. I stood nervously with Johnny, Fenwah, and Mr. Rasengun by my side. They began naming the victors. When they reached the women’s leaderboard, the first-place winner was called… but no one stepped forward. Silence.

The announcer called again. Still no response.

Finally, he said, “Alright, is second place here? Paige?”

I jumped in excitement as my friends screamed with joy and hugged me. I ran up, overwhelmed and thankful that we had decided to come back. It felt like a fever dream.

The prize for the women’s bracket winner was a SigSauer M400-Rose AR from Lena Miculek. They handed me a jacket that said AceVR on it and put on an AceVR hat. I stood proudly as they took photos of me, the women’s ACEVR champion of the day. Johnny Winn even picked me up for a photo with Lena pointing at us. You could see our wide smiles and bright eyes, thankful we had turned near defeat into victory.

For me, it was also proof of Johnny Winn’s training. All the time I had spent under his guidance had finally paid off. That day, the results were real.

Along with the award, I received a $100 gift card to the AceVR shop. I used it to buy a subscription and even picked up another AVR gun. Later, as we explored the convention, we stopped by the Osight booth and met Ashton Hammond, who is now one of the teachers at Tactical Playground. It felt fated, like the start of something much bigger.

Now, the award sits on my shelf, framed and forever a reminder of that victory. Looking back, I’m proud not just of the win, but of the memories Tactical Playground HQ Crew made! Kyaaa!! >.<