Flag Football gained popularity in Mexico, and instrumental in this rise is the member of Mexico’s women’s team, Silvia Contreras, who has led her squad to win both gold and silver at the World Games. She started playing Flag Football in high school when a friend of her who was a big fan of American football wanted to try it out. She went with her to see what it was all about, and fell in love with it in 2009. She made it to the national team in 2018, and in 2022 she became the captain and later during the IFAF Americas Championship, she was named officially the captain of the Mexico national Flag Football team.
As part of the Mexico Flag Football women’s team who has been TWG Champions from 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, and won the silver medal at the 2024 World Championships in Lahti, Finland.
Silvia Contreras Achievements
Gold Medal TWG 2022 BHM Alabama
Silver Medal FFWC 2021 Jerusalem Israel
National Champ 2022 Mexico City
National Champ 2022 Mexico City and Most Valued Player
Gold Medal The World Games 2022
Silver Medal IFAF World Championship 2021 and 2024
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Silvia Contreras is an exceptionally talented Mexican Flag Football Player, winner of gold medal at The World Games 2022, here she talks about her fitness routine, her diet, and her success story.
Namita Nayyar:
Where were you born? You in 2009 started playing Flag Football while in high school. You were selected in the Mexican Flag Football team in 2018 and went on to become its captain in 2022. This later propelled your career to the height where you have been at the top of the world as a Flag Football player. Tell us more about your professional journey of exceptional hard work, tenacity, and endurance?
Silvia Contreras:
I was born in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, México a very small town but when I was three years old my family moved to Tijuana, a big city just across the border from San Diego.
Well I think most if not everything that I have accomplished it’s because of two main things, passion (the love that I have for this game) and discipline. When I started playing I had no idea of anything about this sport, I’ve always loved and practiced sports but not this one in particular so it was a pretty tough challenge.
At first I wasn’t that good but I enjoyed it and loved the way I could see that I was getting better through training, that’s when I fell in love with the process, not just the results. Now I can say that is what put me here and that is why I can continue doing this at the highest level and with so many sacrifices but enjoying it all the way. The support of my family has been so important also, because when I started in the national team I was already graduated, working and supposed to be entering my “normal” adult life, but they know how much I love this and the big dreams that I had so they let me chase my dreams and supported me all the way,
Namita Nayyar:
It is a dream for a Flag Football player to play in the Flag Football World Games. You won a Gold medal being part of the Mexican Team at the 2022 World Games that took place in July 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama in the United States.Tell us more about this spectacular achievement of yours?
Silvia Contreras:
Well, I feel lucky because I am living what I believe is the best moment for a flag football player, I’ve been playing this sport for 15 years and at the beginning not even me knew what this sports was about, now we have to opportunity to dream with something like The World Games and the Olympics but that was not a dream that we could ever imagined we could have in 2009. So it’s been a rollercoaster that just goes up and up for me towards dreaming.
When we heard that we´ve been invited to the world Games that was a huge achievement for the sport and the fact that TWG were going to be so important for the sport to be accepted to the Olympics put some pressure on it, but my dreams have always been big so I just got to work, individually and with my team, That gold medal was totally TEAMWORK and TEAM effort in every aspect, from our staff to the players, even the country, families and fans. It was a total dream, we enjoyed every second and I think people could see it through the screen. We put so much work, time, money, and sacrifices towards this goal and that made it extra special.
Namita Nayyar:
The 2021 IFAF Women’s Flag Football World Championships was the 10th World Championships in women’s flag football. The tournament took place in Jerusalem, Israel, from 6 to 8 December 2021. Representing the Mexican Team you won a silver medal. How does such winning honor being bestowed upon you act as a catalyst in your metriotic rise as a world leading Flag Football player?
Silvia Contreras:
That tournament was definitely very important for me as an athlete mentally because that was my second time representing Mexico on a World Championship but the first time I did badly. I was considering not coming back to try again because it was a very tough challenge for me to get over that moment and my performance. So the 3 years that went by since my first to Israel I put so much effort in every aspect I went from being just a flag football player to becoming an athlete and that help me so much with my confidence and also my performance in the field. I enjoyed the 2021
Worlds and I know a silver medal it’s a huge achievement but I wasn’t satisfied because I knew we could have had the gold medal, so the next months were crucial and we got it. Also it was from moment that I assume a role in the Mexican national team that I don’t want to give up, my position, experience and my story has been inspiring others to try and be here to so I´ve been sharing my thoughts and my process with others to see if I can help or if my road can help someone else to also achieve this dreams.
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2025 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you may wish to share?
Silvia Contreras:
The combination of gym and weightlifting with field training has been crucial in my performance. Actually, I think that I even go more times to the gym in my week that to the field.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you train your abs? One secret to your toned body.
Silvia Contreras:
A big part of this is nutrition, but the exercises that I enjoy more for abs are maybe not the normal crunches but the ones that involve some kind of external force trying to move me, maybe a plank with weight on my back or holding to a stretching band and my trainer moving it like a guitar string so I have to hold my position.
Namita Nayyar:
Do you take a special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Silvia Contreras:
We do have help from a nutritionist in the national team, and on my off season I try to keep the habit of eating well because I need it for health but it gets stricter when I am on season with the national team. During the 3-4 months off I balance the healthier stuff with some things I just eat for pleasure.
Namita Nayyar:
Five foods you absolutely love and five you keep to a minimum.
Silvia Contreras:
I love: Pasta, salmon, rice, seafood and mushrooms
I keep to a minimum: Some vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and celery… peanut butter and spicy things.
Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Share with us your hair care and skincare routine.
Silvia Contreras:
I have acquired the routine of cleaning my face before bed, because when I was younger I didn’t care and that was very bad ha-ha and I also have facials done from time to time. For the hair, I´ve never dyed it and try not to use the hair dryer or hair straightener. I usually just have my hair all natural.
Namita Nayyar:
You must have a Coach who has been a catalyst who helped you pave the way to rise in your career with discipline and a never stopping attitude. Elaborate about his/her influence on your professional life?
Silvia Contreras:
I am blessed that I have had a lot of coaches or mentors in my life and from each of them I try to learn everything I can. There was a coach that introduced me to the sport and that put the seed of the dream of being a part of the national team but there were others that help me achieve that and even since then even people around me have taught me about overcoming difficult times on and off the field that I just translate everything to when the situation applies in my life, psychologist that helped me with visualization and even other athletes that I’ve heard their story on line. I am the sum of the people I have learned from.
Namita Nayyar:
Five athletic leisure brands you love to wear.
Silvia Contreras:
Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Wilson, Flag is life.
Namita Nayyar:
Five travel destinations on your wish list.
Silvia Contreras:
French Polynesia it’s on my Top No.1, Chengdu for TWG2025, Alaska, Hawaii and Machu Picchu.
Namita Nayyar:
Quote you live by.
Silvia Contreras:
“Be a dreamer, be a doer, and be a believer”
Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about a day in the life of ‘Silvia Contreras’
Silvia Contreras:
I get up and start my day cooking because I get hungry really early, so breakfast and coffee, then I work a little bit on the computer, taking orders from my brand and answering some emails, then I go to the gym, come back home and cook a meal for my girlfriend and me.
Get ready and go to training with the high school that I coach, then with another team and then do field training, or maybe I have a flag football game, come home, do some chores, cook dinner and get ready for the next day. Sometime in the morning I go to physical therapy just for prevention or some other adult things like appointments.
Namita Nayyar:
During the Covid pandemic. Tell us more about your routine to remain fit in those challenging times?
Silvia Contreras:
The pandemic was a very difficult time for me, physically and mentally, because I wasn’t able to go outside and train, not gym not on the field, the national team prohibited us because of the risk so there were a couple of months that I was almost depressed and for sure that impacted me on my routines of activities and eating.
The absolute truth is I didn’t remain fit, I tried and do my strength routines on my room but didn’t have the equipment and my family helped me train a little bit on park we had close so I kept doing some football but it was hard emotionally for me, when things started opening again I slowly recovered the motivation.
What I tried to tell myself in those months was even if today you just have 15% on you give your 15%, doing 1 sit up is better that doing 0, doing half of the routine is better than doing nothing.
Namita Nayyar:
In sports like Flag Football how were you able to overcome any physical or sports injury setbacks and what advices can you giving to those in a similar situation?
Silvia Contreras:
The severity of the injury is very crucial in how you’ll overcome it. I have had several injuries, usually we play a little bit injured on something, maybe fingers, maybe pulled muscles, hurting ankles, and there are a lot of things that can heal even if you keep playing.
But there are other times that you need to do is rest and that is difficult for someone who is active, I have a broken collarbone and broken toe and those month that I kept waiting for the bone to just heal were difficult mentally but you have to trust your doctors, and try to see the big picture, maybe you’ll be out 4-5 months or 1 year but if you see that like for me know I’ve been playing 15 years those 4 months are not that of a big deal, but if you don’t recover well those 4 months could turn on to a year or two and that is with every injury, always see the big picture and how the injury could affect your big dreams.
Namita Nayyar:
What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and the message for its visitors?
Silvia Contreras:
I want to thank the website for the opportunity that you give to women like me, to athletes, to Latinas, to share their story.
And to everyone reading thank you for your time, flag football is my life and an awesome sport if you would like to practice it you are more than welcome; we would love to have you as a part of the community,
Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding Flag Football playing girls, who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to the ladder of success in the field of playing Flag Football?
Silvia Contreras:
Be patient, no one gets to the top in just one step, learn to fall because you will, a lot and enjoy the process, the dream is not the destination but the journey.
Namita Nayyar:
You have an impressive Instagram following of 67.5k followers. A message for your ardent admirers.
Silvia Contreras:
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey of “flag is life”.
Namita Nayyar:
Flag Football is included in the 2028 Olympic Games? How are you preparing to win in this Iconic World Sporting Event?
Silvia Contreras:
I’ve been preparing myself for several years, since I heard it was a possibility, doing my part every day, focusing on what I can control, that it’s in myself, my performance and also on each of the competitor I have with the Mexican National team, those are the ones that are going to get us there, see the big picture but focus on each day do something that will help get there. And if I cannot be in the field because of something I for sure will be cheering for my country and my sport because Us, as a flag football community are going to achieve a dream.
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2025 Women Fitness