Yvette Young
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Home Club/Range: Pioneer Sportsmen Club
Disciplines: Women's 3P Rifle & Women's 10m Air Rifle
Started Shooting: Yvette first got into shooting at 12, thanks to Dr. Teresa Purzner. She introduced Yvette to the sport in a way that felt like the start of a lasting passion. Yvette remembers using a small beginner rifle and balancing pennies on the barrel — a simple task that taught focus, patience, and control. Teresa, a neurosurgeon, entrepreneur, and athlete, is someone Yvette deeply looks up to and she not only sparked Yvette’s interest in shooting but also instilled in the importance of discipline and perseverance.
Highlights: A standout moment in Yvette’s shooting career came when she represented Canada at the ISSF Junior World Championship in 2024, despite battling through an illness. It was a challenging experience, and Yvette had to dig deep to keep pushing through, focusing on the competition despite being physically drained. It really tested her resilience and tenacity. The World Championship taught Yvette the value of persistence — sometimes, just showing up with a never-say-die attitude and giving it your best, even when things aren’t ideal, makes all the difference.
Major Games:
2024 ISSF Junior World Championships
Advice for newcomers to the sport: Yvette’s biggest piece of advice to beginners is to remember hat shooting is really a mental sport. It’s a lot like meditation in the sense that it's all about cultivating focus, resilience, and discipline. When you shoot, you'll learn how to stay calm under pressure, adapt quickly, and fix mistakes on the fly. Embrace the process of learning on the line of fire in real-time, especially when things don't go as planned — this is where the most growth happens.
Best advice received: The best advice Yvette received as an athlete came from her mentor, Teresa, who said that getting good at shooting isn't just about making great shots — it’s about being disciplined enough not to take "suboptimal shots". That really stuck with Yvette. It's a reminder to consistently make the right decisions, even when it's tempting to rush or settle for less than your best. Knowing when to step back and reset is just as important as executing under pressure.
Favourite Memory: Yvette’s first international competition at the Hungarian Open in 2019. Right before the event, the airline lost Yvette’s rifle, so she had to focus on making the best of the competition with what she had. This experience taught Yvette a lot about adaptability and resilience. What made the experience even more meaningful, though, was the help and support Yvette received from other shooters and coaches. The camaraderie in the sport is truly special, and she’s incredibly grateful to have experienced it.
Hobbies: Reading, editing articles, volunteering for EDI and welfare initiatives, and cooking for friends and family.
Fun Fact: Yvette is a passionate traveler — 31 countries and counting!