(DENVER, CO – Tuesday, January 19) While the talk of the NFL playoffs has been about a particular 43yr old GOAT in the X League, a 44yr old Spain native is preparing to play her first season of American Tackle football a year older than the GOAT.
Having conquered the entertainment industry earlier in life, named Playboy’s ‘Playmate of the Millennium,’ Bernaola parlayed her early success’ into becoming a successful business woman en route to owning her own construction company.
“I have balance in my life because I focus 100% of my energy on what brings me complete happiness, which is my children, and doing something not many give me a chance at, playing tackle football. I want my children to witness what it take to pursue a dream and not allow excuses to get in the way of your dream,”, Bernaola.
The 44yr old athlete will defy the odds when she suits up for the Denver Rush opening their inaugural season at home vs. the Kansas City Force on Saturday, April 24.
“I’m excited about the upcoming season because it will be an opportunity to apply all of my football training to the field, for the first time in front of thousands of screaming fans. It will be an amazing moment to look up in the stands and see my children,”, Bernaola added.
“I believe that my heart and dedication will be my driving force; I feel that I have an advantage on some level because I am very centered in my approach and focused, that comes with maturity” When asked about the challenge of lacing it up at 44yrs old. Adding, “The only disadvantage from my perspective is that perhaps I will not be able to play the game I love for ten more years like most of my teammates.”
The Denver Rush will feature a young and untested roster and a first-year head coach in John Hassien. However, the Rush seem to have identified a franchise Quarterback in Vana Medrano and Liz Camack, projected to be one of the most dynamic running backs in the X League.