The California sunshine decided to play coy for the ROSE Retreat at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, but the rainy range day didn’t dampen the spirits of the 30 ladies who signed up for the fun. Despite the dreary weather for the first days of the event, the fifth Retreat continued SIG’s tradition of pampering—and empowering—women who have figuratively joined hands as they proceed along their firearms journey.

The Del, as it’s known in the region, is a stunning 1888 Victorian hotel set on the Coronado beach. It’s a glamorous place that harkens back to the gilded age and over a century of luxurious travel, making it an appropriate setting for the ROSE Retreat. SIG also chose the location in part because of the successful addition of the ROSE to the California-compliant firearms roster last November allowing women to legally purchase it in the state.

Ladies attending the event were predominantly from California but ranged as far as Massachusetts and Tennessee and were equally wide ranging in their firearms experience. Each with their own story of how they started on their journey, and how they found ROSE, the consistent theme was the personal decision to take control of their own safety.

Fear is a Liar

With gray skies and fighter jets flying overhead, a group of about 20 of us met after lunch on Day 1 to take a historic tour of the Del. We learned about the vision to create a vacation destination for Victorian era families to enjoy the sunny California beach. The gorgeous wood millwork and crystal chandelier of the lobby provided a beautiful backdrop as we finished the tour and entered the main lobby to register for the Retreat. As we picked up our pink and white striped beach bags filled with ROSE themed goodies, we had the first opportunity to connect with the visionary behind the ROSE—10-time world champion shooter Lena Miculek—and get a photo with her in front of the mauve ROSE backdrop.

While the opening dinner was supposed to be on a terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the impending rain forced it inside—but it was no less luxe. The long dinner table was filled with stunning floral arrangements (mostly roses of course) flanked by a table featuring a dollhouse-sized sandcastle with ROSE Retreat etched in the side. The SIGster Sparkler was the themed cocktail, and the three-course meal was outstanding. The ladies began to get to know each other and as the strength of our connection grew, so did the volume of the chatter—for many of us, it is rare to find ourselves in a room where every woman deeply shares our enjoyment of shooting and more importantly the firm bond forged by the ROSE. After dinner, Lena welcomed us. Her words, as is typical for her, were unscripted but the depth of her passion for empowering women was evident. She reminded us that fear is a liar and challenged us all to use our three days to learn, to enjoy each other’s company, and to know that we are not alone on this journey.

Personal Paths

Day 2 began with an early breakfast and a sharing session. These morning sessions began unintentionally and organically at the first ROSE Retreat in Nashville when, during the introductions, the women made themselves vulnerable by explaining how their own journey began. The two morning share sessions continued with this tradition as we all cried at the stories of heartbreak and fear or family love that were the motivation for many to start down this path.

There were women in law enforcement and the military who had extensive experience with firearms to others who had only shot a handful of times. There were female executives, a woman who hadn’t flown in 30 years but overcame that fear to fly to San Diego, and a grandmother whose son gave her the Retreat as a gift, taking her well outside her personal comfort level. There was a woman who had prevailed over near paralysis, facing her rehabilitation with a firm desire to walk again and knowing that shooting would support that effort when she realized that Lena’s foundation of “eagle talon toes” mirrored the words of her physical therapist. There were those who had never been to an event of this kind to those who had attended a previous seminar or Retreat—and one who celebrated her devastating losses and own near death as a repeat attendee.

Participants ranged in age from a 21-year-old college student attending with her mom as a gift to support her own independence to women in their 70s—but the age and background differences didn’t matter to anyone as we all focused more on what we had in common. Everyone’s path to the Retreat was consistent, with most brought in through an internet search or a friend or family member who told them about the growing ROSE community. This supportive network and the chance to not only learn from some of the best women shooters in the world, but also to do something solely for themselves, was the only motivation they needed to step outside of their comfort zone and save the money needed to attend.

Bonding in the Rain

After breakfast, we boarded the bus for an hour drive to the law enforcement range in Escondido where the training sessions would be held. There were three groups based on firearms experience, and we moved through three two-hour lesson blocks of self-defense, pistols, and rifles. For the first time at the ROSE Retreats, all the sessions were led by women.

Madison Pope of Blue and Green Concepts is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, along with her husband Zach, taught an empowering session of self defense maneuvers designed to help with situational awareness. The moves were designed to de-escalate a threatening situation or simply be able to get away from violence, while also creating the space necessary to be able to draw a concealed firearm. Two former law enforcement officers with the SIG training team helped with practice, recognizing that the male physique would make many of the maneuvers feel very different for the women. Even in this friendly environment, it was hard to underestimate the pervasive feelings of fear when imagining having to use the techniques in a real situation.

Lena’s handgun class worked with the ROSE P365 XL with a Romeo red dot (though women who owned the .380 were welcome to practice with that model). She focused on building a strong foundation to allow our bodies to cope with recoil—a powerful metaphor for addressing the challenges that come at us on our journey through life. Each group learned about eagle talon toes, booty pop, and received Sharpie lines on their thumbs to help align a proper grip. We were reminded that a target with neat, accurate shots is great, but it’s the messy targets with errant shots that offer the opportunity to learn or to challenge ourselves when things start to become too consistent.

Finally, the groups each took a turn with world class rifle shooter Candice Horner on the new ROSE M400. Candice is a former U.S. Marine and law enforcement officer and competitive rifle shooter—the fact that she is married to SIG professional shooter Daniel Horner sometimes overtakes that she herself is incredibly skilled with a rifle. More importantly, her calm demeanor and teaching skills helped put the women at ease. Very few had ever fired an AR-14 platform rifle and while newer shooters had become comfortable with handguns, the new rifle was a significant leap, and many were nervous. Despite the increasingly steady rain as the day progressed, Candice helped everyone learn how to competently and safely handle and shoot the rifles. Even more fun, each group ended their session with a 20-round “mag dump” where the fun of rifle shooting came through. The ROSE M400 is currently in the application process for adding to the California roster, and our demo rifles were permitted due to being shipped directly to a police department and shooting at a law enforcement range with their range officers.

We were all drenched from the day, and the heavy rains and winds continued on our walk between the hotel and the nearby Bluewater Grill restaurant for dinner that night. However, this didn’t dampen the spirits and there were big smiles and discussions about how much everyone learned during the day. All were overwhelmed with the opportunity to train with three different incredibly strong women. The weather made range day a challenge, but we were reminded of a Navy SEAL motto—the only good day was yesterday. This theme helped us all to embrace the uncertainties and challenges that life (or rain) present and to make the most of what is presented.

Spotlight on the Lifestyle

The final day of the ROSE Retreat focused on concealed carry and firearms lifestyle. After the morning share session, attendees got a pink carpet fashion show offering examples of partner company and SIG products that will help women become more confident in their firearms journey. Clothing and packs from 5.11, Vertx, and Born Primitive were paired with Crossbreed Holster’s ROSE Executive Holster with the Ulticlip for many different carry options. We also saw new range bags as well as the rifle soft case that comes with every M400 rifle. Lena reminded us that preventing a threat well in advance can be accomplished through situational awareness and using the ROSE Fox Trot 500 lumen flashlight and Kershaw knife, which are both more easily carried in a wide variety of circumstances. After the fashion show, attendees were able to stop at the vendor pop up stores to purchase gear.

After lunch, there were sign up sessions for gun disassembly and cleaning lessons and a FitLab with Lena. Fully knowing and understanding how to care for your firearm is a critical element and the women learned all the details from the SIG training team. During the FitLab, Lena explained how every body shape is unique in where exactly the best option is to carry a firearm to reduce potential detection. Each woman in the FitLab had Lena’s help finding their own perfect spot and the Crossbreed holster options that would work best for them. The attendees are at various stages of comfort in their own concealed carry journey and the education helped to alleviate many concerns.

The afternoon had free time for walks on the beach, massages, and time in the hot tub. With the sun finally shining brightly it was a beautiful day to enjoy the Del. Free time also allowed plenty of glam prep as the ladies took to the red carpet for the Old Hollywood x ROSE Retreat gala. Floor length gowns, flapper beads, and vintage fur stoles added to the fun theme as we danced with a Marilyn Monroe impersonator (fun fact, Marilyn’s movie Some Like it Hot was filmed at the Del in the 50s). A wall of SIGster sparkler martini glasses and the ROSE backdrop made for fun final group selfies and time to exchange phone numbers and social media connections. As with every ROSE Retreat, the SIG team announced the next Retreat location with plans for going to Washington, DC next fall. The Gala was a beautiful event and a perfect closure to the strong bonds that are built when you spend even a short time with like-minded women.

SIG has created magic with the ROSE program, tapping into the need for education and empowerment as women follow along their path to self-defense. The ROSE Retreats are an incredible opportunity to disconnect from daily lives through three days of pampering and immersion in the firearms lifestyle. Participants talked about saving for months to pay for the Retreat and knowing that it was worth every penny to take them outside their comfort zone in the most welcoming way possible. Most importantly, the events validate each individual’s place within a broad community made up of survivors, moms, grandmoms, friends—and now SIGsters.