Paula 

Who helps you when hope seems impossible?

 

Have you ever taken a class on how to suffer well?

Have you ever been taught what to do when life turns upside down?

 

Most people haven’t — until suffering arrives uninvited.

 

Paula Umaña is a Hope Ambassador, award-winning athlete, international speaker, author, and TV host. A former #1 tennis player in Costa Rica and Central America, she built her life on perseverance and excellence. Yet after the birth of her fifth child, Paula faced her greatest battle: a sudden diagnosis of CIDP, a neurological disorder that left her completely paralyzed. What could have been a story of defeat became a story of profound faith, courage, and triumphant hope.

 

Today, Paula inspires audiences across the United States and Latin America through powerful keynotes at women’s conferences, parish missions, retreats, schools, and corporate events. Her unique message teaches what no one else dares to: how to manage suffering, how to grow stronger through trials, and how to transform pain into purpose. With her signature authenticity, humor, and faith, Paula delivers talks that will make you laugh, cry, and leave transformed.

 

She is the author and editor of three inspiring books:

 

• 40 Gifts of Hope, a guide to finding meaning and strength during life's most difficult trials.

 

• Rediscovering Hope, an 8-week Bible study designed for individuals, groups of friends or families, and parish communities seeking healing, renewal, and deeper trust in God.

 

• Imitation of Christ for the Sick and Suffering, a timeless spiritual treasure originally written by a Catholic priest in 1958. The Pontifical Mission Societies in Madrid, Spain, granted Paula Umaña the privilege to publish Edition Number 22 of this extraordinary work — a powerful source of comfort and strength for those enduring great trials.

 

Paula is also the host of her own EWTN television program, Gifts of Hope, where she shares extraordinary testimonies of resilience, healing, and the transforming power of faith.

 

A mother of five, a Catholic woman of deep devotion, and a speaker fluent in English, Spanish, and French, Paula lives what she preaches: resilience, joy, and a life anchored in the hope of Christ. Her story — from total paralysis to walking again with miraculous leg devices — is intimately linked to her deep devotion to Mary, particularly Our Lady of Lourdes, through whom she received tangible miracles.

 

If you are looking for a speaker who doesn’t just motivate but moves hearts and plants lasting hope, invite Paula Umaña to your next event. Based in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

    ✨ Hope is not a feeling. Hope is a decision — a way of life.

-  Paula Umaña