Giovy Webb '20 wasn't about to let a global pandemic end her softball career. Webb's final season at Yale in 2020 was cut short after 12 games because of COVID-19 so there was no final chance for an Ivy League championship, no Senior Day celebration and no way to go out on her terms.
 
"Missing out on the senior year of my college softball career left me yearning for more," she said.
 
Fortunately, Webb had an option. In early 2019, she was named to the Peruvian National Softball Team and went on to represent Peru at the USA International Cup, the Canada Cup and the 2019 Pan American Games. The opportunity to continue with the national team following her Yale graduation remained.
 
"Since my selection, I've kept training with Team Peru remotely, from North America, sending videos of my weekly workouts, hitting and fielding," said Webb, whose mother is a native of Peru.
 
This weekend, Webb, who has dual citizenship in the United States and Peru, will be back playing the game she loves in Buenos Aires, Argentina, competing for Team Peru in the South American Softball Championship. Peru is joined in the tournament, which runs from June 4 to June 11, by Argentina, Brazil, Curaçao, Guatemala, and Argentina U-21.
 
"My goal for the tournament is to cherish the moment and appreciate every opportunity I get to play in the beautiful Peruvian jersey," Webb said. "I look forward to meeting my younger teammates in person, many of whom just moved up from 18U. I hope to inspire them to play with heart and leave it all on the field."
 
Webb currently works for Microsoft in San Francisco. She spent two years as a data scientist on the MSFT Yammer Product Analytics and Strategy Team and recently moved internally to work on a new product called MSFT Viva Insights. She also is involved in several of Microsoft's global diversity and inclusion groups, including Women at Microsoft, Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) and Hispanics/Latinx at Microsoft (HOLA). 
 
"I'm grateful Microsoft has a culture in which we're encouraged to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and they allow me to work remotely from any time zone and flex my schedule as needed," she said. "Having that level of support from both Team Peru and Microsoft is truly a blessing and something that motivates me to continue to work hard to do my best on the field and be a top performer off the field as well."
 
During her career at Yale, Webb appeared in 90 games and was a two-time NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete. When her senior season was abruptly stopped, she was tied for the team lead in doubles. As a junior, she started 18 games, and her first career home run came in her sophomore season against Columbia.
 
Webb's time with Team Peru won't end after the South American Championships. She's also been selected to participate in the 2022 Bolivarian Games in Valledupar, Colombia, from June 25-30.
 
For more information on the South American Championships, including the game schedule and live streaming, click here.