25
Miramar, Fla.
Medellin, Colombia
Assistant Golf Professional
Single/3
Bonaventure Country Club
Golf, shopping and sunbathing
From a country where soccer reigns supreme, Valeria moved from Colombia to Florida five years ago and has since picked up a golf game that she all but abandoned at age 16.
When she was 6, Valeria knew she wanted to play golf for a living. She was an accomplished junior golfer, crowned South American Champion twice, and won several national titles in her home country.
When she lost interest in the game and later became pregnant at 18, she feared her dream would never become a reality. After a move to the U.S., two more kids and nine years without picking up a club, this mother of three got back in the game by chance.
Working at a golf resort to get out of the house and earn a little extra money, she "got tired of customers looking down at me like I knew nothing about the game. That really got me motivated to chase the dream again."
She worked her way onto the course, first as an instructor and then as the founder and director of a successful junior golf academy.
Applying to be on "The Big Break III" was another way for her to kick-start her golf career again. "In the U.S., you can be whatever you want," she said.
Source: The Golf Channel
