Every History Has a Beginning
Since I can remember, paintball has been a part of my life. I started playing at the age of 13, accompanying my dad to his training sessions and tournaments. What initially was just a way to spend time with him soon became my passion. Everything began when my dad uploaded a video to social media showing me training paintball with him, practicing with the marker and doing slides, things like that. At the same time, in the city of Bogotá, a major project for women’s paintball in Colombia was starting — the MEDUSAS team, led by YEI ROJAS and ANGIE TRUJILLO, from whom I received one of the best messages of my life: “Would you like to play paintball with us?” Medusas was not just any team; it was a project that brought together some of the most talented women in Colombian paintball, along with newcomers like me. Together, we made history by achieving the first victories for an all-female team competing against male teams. And not only that, we also finished the year at the top of the overall ranking, earning podium finishes in every tournament, and proving that talent and determination have no gender.
Coming To The United States
The success I achieved with Medusas caught the attention of one of the best Latin American players and a great promoter of women in our sport: Karla Andrade. Thanks to her, in 2020, I was introduced to the owners of the DESTINY team, one of the most important women’s paintball franchises in the United States. BEA PAXON and DESTINY invited me to try out at the TIKIS paintball field in Tampa, FL, and without hesitation, I began my journey.
I arrived without speaking the language and as a complete unknown. There, I met incredible players like Bea Paxon, the Blanco sisters, and Hailey Leyva. I faced my first big test in the U.S. It didn’t go well. I ended up on Destiny’s second team, not the main one, and I thought I wouldn’t get any playing time, but my dad gave me the best advice at that moment:
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t play a single point. Just take the opportunity to be there, absorb all the knowledge and experience you can, support your teammates, and if you get the chance to play, don’t waste it.”
At the time, the professional women’s league, WNXL, didn’t exist, and women played in the 3v3 open format. It was my first World Cup. In the preliminary phase, we played 8 points, and only the top two teams would advance to the final. After a long day, both DESTINY teams qualified, meaning we would face each other for the championship.
The final was intense. We were tied, and there was one point left. Coach JAMMI WILSON looked at me and told me I was going in. My nerves were through the roof, but my teammates supported me the whole time. I managed to eliminate the last opponent and hit the buzzer to secure the victory. The emotion was indescribable. Celebrating with my teammates, with my parents, I couldn’t believe it. And as if things couldn’t get any better, Karla Andrade, the person who believed in me to get there, had seen everything and was waiting for me outside. She told me she trusted that I would train harder and learn English before the next World Cup in 2021, all while handing me her own marker. I simply promised her I would make her proud…
The Birth Of "WNXL"
As I promised, I set the goal of learning English and training very hard the following year. To achieve this, I traveled to New Jersey for a while to practice paintball and learn the language. It was there that I met Manuel, thanks to Jhon, who had seen me in Colombia—both from the L.K.A. team—who welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to train and play with them until the 2021 World Cup. They weren’t just my support system; they became my family because it was truly difficult for me to be away from mine.
While playing and training in New Jersey and in the TRISTATE league, I caught the attention of Monica López, who invited me to play a weekend with her and introduced me to Tami Adamson. That meeting marked a turning point in my career.
At the 2021 World Cup, it was announced that the inauguration of the WNXL, the first-ever professional women’s paintball league, would take place. Tami Adamson gave me the opportunity to be part of this historic event with her team, Femmes Fatale. On the professional field, 35 women from two teams played the league’s inaugural match. It was a game full of emotion, joy, talent, a great crowd, and high expectations, officially kicking off the first professional women’s paintball league, WNXL, for the 2022 season.
The league started with only six teams, but it has grown exponentially, increasing women’s participation in paintball like never before. Today, the WNXL has 10 franchises in the professional division and several more in the Amateur division, opening doors for young women taking their first steps in the sport. All of them are invited to be part of this league and this wonderful world of paintball..
Femmes Fatale
During my first two seasons in the WNXL, Femmes Fatale was my family. Femmes is a legendary team, one of the first all-female teams in the history of competitive paintball. With Femmes Fatale, I gained a lot of experience; it was my first time on a professional team, sharing the field with excellent players who had a lot of experience. Additionally, Femmes opened doors for other Latina players, including Karla Andrade, which was a dream come true to play alongside her. We made it to the semifinals in all the competitions, but we always fell short of reaching the main goal.
TODD and TAMI ADAMSON, the owners of Femmes Fatale, deserve a separate chapter. From the moment I arrived, they treated me like their own daughter, like another member of their family. They live for paintball, and they promote and support it in the same way. Without their help, I wouldn’t have been able to become who I am today. I learned so much from them, not only as a player but also as a person. My gratitude will always be with them.
But as good as a story may be, it always has an ending. My departure from Femmes Fatale was a completely personal decision. As a team, Femmes Fatale did everything to keep me, but it was not their fault; the decision had been made.
Present
"HEROINES"
At the end of the 2023 season, I received the invitation to be part of HEROINES, a team based in Boston, owned by ANTHONY VITALE and LORI MILLER, and made up of some of the best female paintball players. Most of whom are members of the U.S. national team. JENN FULK, KATIE KELLEY, ANDREINA BLANCO, GERKARY BRACHO, KRISTA TITUS, ALICIA VALDIVIA and BROOKLIN STELLATO.
"MEDELLIN"
It’s my home team, with whom I regularly train and participate in local and international tournaments. The team is made up of players who are passionate about the sport and share my love for paintball. From them, I’ve received unwavering support, which has allowed me to practice the sport locally, stay in competitions, and improve my game day by day. Last year, we managed to reach the podium in every competition and category we participated in, including an international tournament in Panama. This year, we hope to continue our streak and keep improving our level.
"AIR FORCE ONE"
In 2024, I received an invitation to join the AIR FORCE ONE team, representing the WNXL professional league, which would compete in France in the European professional women’s paintball league, facing the best players and teams from the continent. The result couldn’t have been better; we finished the tournament undefeated, reaffirming the level of our league and, in general, American paintball.
At the same time, the Nations Tournament took place, where teams representing their countries competed in the veterans, men’s, women’s, U19, and U16 categories. The United States won in all categories.
This event, however, showcased the tremendous growth of paintball worldwide, not only in the men’s categories but also with appearances from national women’s teams such as those from Norway, Finland, Brazil, and Malaysia, alongside the traditional teams from Germany, France, Great Britain, and others.
