The Catshack - April 19, 2010 – In a recent interview posted in the Tomcat's Corner of The Catshack Reports by Paul Forcier, Hellion Lani "Sky" Fox is asked about what it is like to be a woman in a predominantly male sport like paintball:
In an effort to show the world that paintball is not just a male dominated sport I have taken the initiative to interview some ladies who love and play the sport right along side of us men. These ladies are a force on and off the field but when you see their markers pointed at you prepare, they will not hold back and their mind is set on sending you to the dead box. Today we have a visit from Lani Fox a member of the well known Hellions based out of Chicago.
Name: Lani “Sky” Fox (my first name is pronounced like Loni)
Age: 35
Occupation: Legal secretary/paralegal
Marker: Phenom
Home Field: CPX
Team: Hellions
How did you get involved in paintball? My husband has been trying to get me to play for years and I finally gave in and went to an open game and loved it, so I continued to go to games and improve my skills.
For all of those new people who ask does it hurt, what would you say? I would say yes it does, but no more than getting hit with a rubberband. It stings for a second and then it goes away. Besides, you’re having too much fun to notice anyway.
Out of all of the sports available why did you choose paintball? I’ve competing in different sports throughout the years. The only one I could still actively play at this point is softball because there are summer leagues. So, when I decided to give paintball a try, I was hooked. Now, I play more paintball than softball and wouldn’t trade it for the world.
To date, what has been your favorite playing experience? One was when my husband and I were holding off 15 guys coming up a trail and they had no idea where we were and you could hear them all yelling “where the heck are they?” It was early in my career and it was a very memorable experience.
What tips, that you have learned, would you give to fellow players? Don’t be scared or intimidated, you have the same gear as everyone else and are just as capable of shooting them.
Other than paintball, what do you do for fun? Softball and recently started taking karate classes.
When you are outnumbered on the field what is it that you do to stay in the game? With my team we coordinate through radios and hand signals that even if we are outnumbered we don’t feel like we’re out of the fight. Better to go out fighting than just walking away.
Who do you look up too in the sport and why? I don’t really have anyone I look up to. I got into the sport as a way to spend time with the family and found out I loved playing too. I’ve met a lot of great people who have taught me a lot and contiue to learn, but I can’t really pinpoint any one person. As I’m meeting more of the well known people and getting to know them I can appreciate their contributions and all the hard work they’ve put into to get the sport known around the world.
What has been the funniest off field antics you or someone else has done that you were a part of? I have to say off field is full of fun stories and great comraderie. One of the best is watching people try to work the Indo Board (which is a surfing balance trainer – think large rolling pin with a cutting board on top of it) after playing all day.
How can the industry attract more women to get involved in paintball? Acceptance. I think we’re trying to do that with pbwoman.com and just getting women more visible on the field is helping I think. There are certainly stereotypes to overcome and that’s what we hope to do with the website and as players on the field. I think a lot of girls see their boyfriends, husbands, etc. paintball magazines with a bikini clad woman showing off a marker and that may turn them off. I would like to see more women players being showcased. I look at those pictures and say “I don’t think she can play in that.”
We welcome stories from all of you women players. In an effort to get more of the ladies involved we want to hear from you. Send us your story at cryptic@catshackreports.com
Paul Forcier
Read the full interview and accompanying photos at The Catshack Reports.
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