31-Year-Old Team USA Paintballer Kicked Off Squad For Fat-Shaming High School Kid With COVID

Jessica Maiolo, a fitness trainer, Team USA Paintball player, and girl who definitely looks like she used to make fun of you in high school, has been kicked off the squad after making nasty comments about a teenager hospitalized with COVID-19.

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Maiolo, 31, said that 17-year-old David Espino needs a “f**cking treadmill” more than a vaccine.

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The former Team USA Paintball player shared a TikTok video in which she mocked the sick Espino, 17, who is a Florida high school all-star football player and fat-shamed him.

The video was taken down, but not before another TikToker could capture and share it. After the video got serious backlash, and people called for Maiolo’s removal, Team USA told Maiolo that she was no longer welcome on the team.

“Our investigation into the troubling conduct of Ms. Maiolo has been concluded and we have decided to remove her from the team indefinitely,” the team said in a statement.

“Playing for Team USA Paintball means representing the sport at the highest level and being a leader both on and off the field. We are an eclectic mix of culture, opinions and ideas — and that’s what makes our sport so great. We cannot tear each other down, both within our community and out. We are hopeful that this will serve as a valuable lesson for anyone paying attention.”

Maiolo shared a statement on Instagram saying it was “never my intention to shame any individual.”

“What started out as me expressing my personal opinion about something I feel quite passionately about, has turned into a moment of regret for the situation I have put my teammates, our sponsors and the sport I love into,” she added.

Espino is an offensive lineman at Miami Tru Foundation Academy, won the school’s “Iron Man Award” in May. His high school has described him as a “hard worker.”

“Ma’am, your kid does not need a COVID shot. Your kid needs a f***in’ treadmill. That’s what he needs, she said smugly in the video.

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Featured Image: TikTok

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*First Published: August 10, 2021, 1:46 pm