FRISCO, Texas — Sports have long been a male-dominated industry, but there have been more and more breakthroughs for women in recent years.
In fact, there's a day each year to support and encourage female involvement in sports — National Girls & Women in Sports Day — and the next celebration is Feb. 5, 2025.
Ursula Heyner hopes to celebrate it, too — if she's still in the United States by then.
For 18 months, Heyner worked as a sports performance coach at Sports Academy in the North Texas area. She began as an intern and turned it into a full-time job, as she helps train some of the top pros in sports.
However, she's been unable to work since August because her H-3 visa expired.
Heyner is from Italy — the country, not the small Texas town.
She grew up in Naples with an athletic background in equestrian. Heyner received her bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and Master's degree in Sports Management from Parthenope University of Naples.
"I was determined to turn my passion for athletics into a profession," Heyner said. "It soon became clear that my true call was coaching. I spent four years working with professional athletes in Italy, crafting my skills and building a network while dreaming of one day bringing my expertise to the United States."
In May 2022, Heyner moved to North Texas for an internship on a J-1 visa, joining the training staff at Sports Academy.
"I shadowed seasoned professionals and began training NFL and NBA athletes," Heyner described. "I focused on enhancing their speed, power, reactivity and strength while promoting overall health."
Following the internship, she returned to the U.S. in January 2023 as a full-time employee on an H-3 visa — and launched right into helping college athletes prepare for the NFL Combine.
"We achieved remarkable success, including a record-breaking defensive lineman 40-yard-dash time with [Tampa Bay Buccaneers] first-round pick Calijah Kancey," Heyner noted. "My role quickly expanded to include training high-profile NFL athletes such as Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary, New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit.
Heyner's role continued to expand and her respect continued to grow in the training community. In the 2024 NFL offseason, she helped train Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.
"She means a lot," said Chase. "Bringing a good attitude every day. For athletes, I feel like that is the biggest thing for us. We gotta come in here every day of the week. Not knowing if we're tired or don't wanna be here. She brings that same attitude every day. That's the praise we give her."
Heyner is now in the process of applying for an EB-1 visa, which permanently allow her to live and work in the United States, and be a critical step toward gaining U.S. citizenship.
However, the tedious process requires thousands of dollars in immigration lawyer fees and USCIS filing fees — all while still being unable to work until the visa is secured.
A GoFundMe was started to help Heyner financially.
According to Heyner, there is a 20% to 30% chance her visa application is denied. Should that happen, Heyner and her lawyer intend to file an appeal or motion to reconsider.
Her goal or hope is to have the visa secured and the issue resolved before 2025, so she can re-join Sports Academy (in an official capacity) in time for offseason workouts and NFL Combine preparation.
As Heyner summarized, "My journey is not just about personal success; it’s about inspiring others to believe in their potential and pursue their dreams."
