Salma Kattan was told that her greatest passion was not for her, that it was not a girl thing. Those comments did not discourage her. In love with the world’s most popular sport, football, in her first year studying Communication she began working as a radio journalist and did sports coverage for the newspaper Opinión. That opened the doors to a traditionally male-dominated field. Today she is the communications manager for the professional division team Universitario de Vinto and is a partner in one of the country’s best-known coffee-selling brands. Salma is an example of resilience and perseverance.

• How did your story with football begin, what did it mean to you when you were a girl, and what place does it hold in your life today?

  
  

  My story with football began when I was very young, almost without realizing it. It was that time of day when everything made sense: recess playing with my friends, weekends dreaming about football shirts I saw on the street, or simply dreaming about being on a big pitch one day. As a girl, football was my refuge and my way of expressing myself without speaking. Today, although I no longer play it in the same way, it is still the center of my life. Everything I do—my work, my projects, even my studies—has a connection to football. It is a passion that stays with me, challenges me, and gives me purpose.

  
  

• You once said that your dreams were “shattered with a kick.” What did you learn from that moment, and how did it help you rebuild your path?

  
  

  Yes, it was a phrase that came from pain, but over time I understood it through resilience. When an injury or a situation takes something you love away, you feel like you have no direction. But that blow taught me to rebuild myself, not to define myself only by what I did, but by what football had left me with as a person. I learned that dreams can change, that I could remain connected to what I love, even if from a different place. That stage helped me discover new ways to live my passion, and from there everything I do today was born.

  
  

• At what point did you discover that sports journalism could be a way to stay connected to football, but from another place?

  
  

  I discovered it when I started really wanting to comment on what I was seeing: the players, the matches, the decisions on and off the pitch. In my house, almost no one watches football, so I felt that need to talk to someone, to share what I was thinking. And that’s when I realized I could turn that into something bigger: telling stories, analyzing, debating, connecting with others through that same passion. Sports journalism became that balm for my heart that I needed.

  
  

• At your young age you already work in the marketing area of FC Universitario and are a partner in a coffee shop. What has entrepreneurship taught you about taking on such big responsibilities while studying?

  
  

  It taught me that dreams are built by working, not just by dreaming. Taking on big responsibilities at a young age constantly puts you to the test: you learn to organize yourself, to fail, to get back up, to trust your ideas and, above all, to prioritize; you set many things aside, trusting that everything will come back. Starting a business made me value every small achievement and understand that opportunities do not come on their own; you have to go after them, even when it is scary. Sometimes I feel tired, but I also feel proud to see that everything I do makes sense and helps me grow.

  
  

• The Communication degree offers many doors. How do you feel the training at UPB is helping you turn your passions into real opportunities?

  
  

  UPB has given me much more than classes; it gave me vision and support. Something I value a lot is the support of my professors: they were always willing to guide me, give me advice, and even give more personalized classes when I needed them. Thanks to them I was able to take advantage of more opportunities, grow in my projects, and connect what I learn with what I love. I feel that the university pushes me to turn my ideas into something concrete, to believe in my abilities, and to professionalize my passions.

• In sports, as in life, there are setbacks, injuries, and restarts. What would you say today to young women who feel their dreams have stopped because of an unexpected blow?

  
  

  I would tell them to allow themselves to feel, that there is nothing wrong with stopping and crying if they need to. But never think that everything is over. Sometimes blows only change your path, not your destination. Dreams can be rebuilt, reinvented, and even improved. Every fall leaves a lesson, and that strength shows later when you get back up. The important thing is not to stop believing in yourself.

  
  

• Between football, university, work, and entrepreneurship, how do you find balance and motivation to keep growing?

  
  

  Balance is relative; it does not always exist as such. But I do try to stay focused on why I do what I do. What motivates me is thinking that everything is part of the same dream: growing, learning, and leaving a mark. There are days when exhaustion weighs heavily, but there is also a part of me that enjoys being in motion. Knowing that I am building my path with effort and passion gives me the energy to keep going.

   

• How do you imagine the future of sports journalism made by women, and what role would you like to have in that transformation?

  
  

  I imagine it as freer, more empathetic, and more diverse. I believe women are changing the way sports are told, bringing sensitivity, depth, and new perspectives. I would like to be an active part of that change, to keep opening spaces and show that football can also be narrated from the heart, without losing professionalism. I hope my work inspires other girls to believe that they can be there too, where it once seemed there was no place for us.

INSIGHTS:

• A book or movie that marked you?: Interstellar. It marked me because of the relationship between the father and the daughter. My dad passed away when I was seven, and every time I watch the movie I feel it reflects that: that love and connection with someone can go beyond time, space, and life itself.

• A person you deeply admire?: My mom. For her strength, her calm, and her way of making everything seem possible even when it is not. She taught me that humility and consistency open more doors than any talent.

• A phrase or principle that guides your life?: “If you fall seven times, get up eight.” I heard it when I was nine years old and, since then, it has stayed with me. Every time something gets difficult, I repeat it to myself. It is my reminder that no matter how many times something knocks you down, you can always get back up.

• Your most precious possession?: My resilience. It has been what allowed me to keep going when I felt everything was falling apart. Thanks to it, I learned to rebuild myself, adapt, and trust that everything has its moment.

• A fear you have learned to transform or that taught you a lesson?: The fear of failing. Before, it paralyzed me; now I see it as part of the process. Failing also teaches you, shapes your character, and prepares you for what comes next.

• A favorite flavor or food experience?: The matcha from COFI, definitely. It gives me calm, and it is a treat I could have all the time.