Paige Vasser, owner of Legacy Boxing Gym in Vero Beach, helped Team USA win gold last weekend at an international paintball competition in France, capping a rapid rise that has placed her among the top-10 professional women in the sport.
Vasser grew up in Southeast Georgia near Brunswick before moving to Sebastian, where she eventually opened Legacy Boxing Gym in Vero Beach. She never played a sport until she was 21 years old. Her introduction to athletics came through boxing, which she embraced fully despite having never exercised before.
Vasser said she thought boxing was, in her words, badass. Her boyfriend, who had been playing paintball for about 10 years, later introduced her to the sport. She took her team at Legacy for a day of paintballing and quickly fell in love with it as a weekend activity that kept them busy.
What started as a weekend hobby quickly turned into something much bigger. A coach noticed Vasser playing and recruited her for his divisional team. A year later, she signed with her first women's professional team.
Her rise through the sport has been rapid, placing her among the top professional women in paintball. Last weekend she competed internationally when she flew into Paris for an event in France.
The event was held at the site of the United Paintball Federation, where Vasser and Team USA won gold in one of the largest competitions in the sport. Vasser said she got to play with girls she never played with before, calling it an awesome experience. She said the other players were amazing and it was a lot of fun.
The gym owner's journey from someone who never played sports or exercised before age 21 to becoming an international gold medalist in paintball highlights her rapid development in the sport. Her story demonstrates how a weekend pastime can evolve into professional athletic success when combined with dedication and natural talent.