First year student Grace has secured an impressive place on the Great Britain women’s paintball team and is set to compete at the upcoming Paintball World Championships in France.
Grace, who is currently studying Textiles, Computer Science, and Creative Media Practice at QE, attended try-outs in February, where she demonstrated exceptional skill and commitment, earning her position on the national squad. Since then, Grace has been training and competing in tournaments almost every weekend, helping her to build vital experience ahead of the international competition.
Her journey has been shaped by months of dedication, with preparation beginning as early as October. During this time, Grace has regularly been partaking in drills and practice games to help refine her performance. A key part of her success has been the support of her family, friends, and college community – particularly her dad, who helped establish a local training facility to support her development.
Together, they set up a sup-air field at a nearby site, allowing for regular training sessions locally. This has not only supported Grace’s own progress, but is also helping to grow the sport locally by making it more accessible to players in the north, with the facility now hosting training days open to participants of all levels.
Grace isn’t the first paintballer in her family, as her dad is also actively involved in the sport and has previously competed in France for the GB veterans’ team. Alongside her national training commitments and studies at QE, Grace is also part of a competitive tournament team, Bad Touch, where she continues to refine her skills with teammates.
Reflecting on her journey and recent success, she said:
“I began weekly training for team GB in October in preparation for try-outs which I completed in February. All the hard work and dedication really paid off as I got into the team and am continuing to train as much as possible ready for the world championships in France. I’m really excited and couldn’t have done it without the support from my family, friends and former tutor who are always cheering me on.
“The college community is amazing, everyone is so kind and I’m so lucky to have made so many friends that support my journey, as well as my tutor who is always so excited to hear updates. It shows how good the community at college is and I can’t wait for second year.”
We are incredibly proud of Grace’s achievements and the determination she has shown both on and off the field.
We wish her the very best on her journey to represent Great Britain on the world stage in France.
