Victoria! Tec student named Athlete of the Year 2025 at World Games

Victoria Chávez, a player for the Mexican Women's Flag Football Team and Borregos Santa Fe, has been named Athlete of the Year 2025 at The World Games, the most important international multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

The Mexican athlete beat 32 other athletes from 19 countries in an online public vote, where she obtained more than 50,000 votes between January 12 and February 2, 2026.

Among the athletes she surpassed were the German DanceSport duo Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska, who came in second with 43,000 votes, and her compatriot Laura Burgos, a Muaythai fighter, who came in third with 29,000 votes.

Her nomination for the award was the result of her participation in The World Games 2025, held in Chengdu, China.

Victoria, a student on the Master's in Innovation for Business Development program, along with four other Tec players, won gold as well as the back-to-back women's flag football championship by defeating the United States team 26-21 in that tournament.

Tec student and The World Games Athlete of the Year 2025

Victoria Chávez says that this award reaffirmed the importance of believing in her dreams, no matter how distant they may seem, and that no achievement would ever be possible without the support of those around her.

"It reminded me that big dreams come true when someone dares to believe in them. This award isn't just mine: it belongs to the Mexican Flag Football Team and to every person in the world who fights every day to keep this sport growing," she says.

Through her position is defensive, on certain occasions and in key situations, she plays as a receiver with the Mexican national team and was the player who made the title score in the final of women's Flag Football at The World Games 2025.

"This award isn't just mine: it belongs to every person in the world who fights every day to keep this sport growing".

Following a pass from the team's captain and quarterback Diana Flores, and with three seconds on the clock, Victoria caught the ball to give Mexico the gold.

"I'm a defensive player and only in some key situations do I play as a receiver."

"That play had been planned and studied for, and when I saw that the defense was down, I thought it was my moment. I was alone and I wanted the ball in my hands, and that's what happened," she recalled in an interview with ESPN.

The other players from the Tec community who won gold, in addition to Chávez and Flores, were Ángela Funes, Andrea Martínez, and Ana Aguayo.

Victoria has won 3 gold medals and one silver medal in CONADEIP National Championships with the Borregos Santa Fe women's flag football team; she was also named the Most Valuable Player in the 2025 championship.

In January 2026, the athlete also received the Teporaca de Oro, a Municipal Award for Excellence in Sport in her home state of Chihuahua.

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