Thaymiluz Santos:Turned Her Opportunity Into a Path for the Next Generation

For Thaymiluz Santos, flag football became a way to represent her country, pursue an education abroad, and eventually create opportunities for athletes following behind her.

Growing up in Panama City, Santos found her place in the sport early. Her talent eventually carried her onto Panama's women's national flag football team, putting her alongside some of the country's best players while she was still beginning to imagine where the sport could take her. That opportunity stretched beyond the national team.

With encouragement from her coach, Santos began looking at U.S. colleges offering athletic scholarships for flag football. Through a combination of athletic and academic scholarships, she made the move from Panama to Florida Memorial University, where she joined the university's women's flag football program and studied aviation management.

In 2022, her college career and international career crossed paths during a historic moment for the sport. Flag football made its debut at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, and Santos was there representing Panama. The team advanced to the bronze-medal game, where Panama defeated Austria 40-19 to secure a place on the podium. Santos contributed a touchdown in the victory as Panama captured bronze.

She continued competing at Florida Memorial while working toward her degree, ultimately completing her studies in aviation management. But Santos' experience navigating the journey from Panama to college athletics in the United States gave her another idea.

She founded Athleads, a platform created to help student-athletes pursue academic and athletic opportunities through sports scholarships. Drawing from a process she once had to navigate herself, Santos is now working to help athletes understand recruiting, scholarships, and the possibilities that can come from taking their sport beyond their home country.

The opportunity that once changed her life has become one she wants more athletes to have.

PLAYER CARD

• Sport: Flag Football
• Hometown: Panama City, Panama
• College: Florida Memorial University
• Degree: Aviation Management
• College Position: Utility / multi-position player
• National Team: Panama Women's National Flag Football Team
• World Games: 2022 Bronze Medalist
• Off the Field: Founder of Athleads

Why She's a Próxymas

We chose Thaymiluz because she took an opportunity that changed the direction of her own life and turned it into a way forward for someone else.

Flag football carried her from Panama to a college campus in the United States, onto an international podium with her country, and through a college education. Now, through Athleads, she is helping more international athletes understand how their own talent can open doors to scholarships, education, and opportunities to compete abroad. She has already helped Panama make history on the field. The path she is building away from it could give more athletes the chance to make history of their own.