PWG: Blowing Other Gyms Out of the Water
I’m quite certain my grandfather didn’t intend for his twelve gauge pump-action shotgun to be handed down to me. In fact, after nearly thirty years without ever so much as touching a firearm, I never expected to find myself shooting a clay target, then jumping up and down at the victory with a shotgun in my hands.
Skeet and trap shooting is just one of the more interesting courses offered through Yale’s Payne Whitney Gym (PWG). I suppose being the second largest gym in the world has something to do with that. This year I also took classes in Pilates and horseback riding. Yes, Yale has its own Equestrian and Polo Center for equine enthusiasts, a fly tying course for fishermen, an Outdoor Education Center for campers, and ballet classes for dancers. (For a complete list of facilities and classes, click here.)
In all honesty, the biggest single factor helping me get through a New England winter with a smile on my face has been PWG. Just one block from the Law School, there is really no excuse for missing a day, even on the snowiest of days. I have run into YLS students, staff, and even faculty at the fitness center; on the flip side, I’ve met law school applicants at the barn and at the shooting range.
In the fall PWG offers a much talked about deep-sea fishing course and we take a chartered boat out to where the Long Island Sound opens into the Atlantic. Although I’m a bit squeamish about baiting my hooks, I can’t wait to sign up!
Sarah skeet shooting in a course offered by the Payne Whitney Gymnasium