FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University Track and Field head coach Andrew Gerard has announced that Atalia Lima Da Silva will join the Patriot coaching staff as an assistant coach focusing on jumpers and those in multi event groups.
 
"I want to thank Coach Gerard and the whole athletic administration for the opportunity to join the Patriots family," said Coach Lima. "Throughout my conversations with the Track and Field coaches and support staff, I got a true sense that the Athletic Department truly cares for their student-athletes. I am very excited for the opportunity to help our student-athletes in their pursuit of excellence on and off the track."
 
Most recently, Lima worked as a graduate assistant for Marymount University's Track and Field/Cross Country team. She coached 10 AEC Outdoor Conference Champions, 12 Outdoor Conference 2nd place finishers, and four ECAC Regional Champions. While she focused on designing annual training plans for athletes involved in jumps, hurdles and multi-events, she was directly involved in recruiting competitive athletes who were immediate impact performers that met the academic requirements of a rigorous school.
 
In 2022, she worked as an assistant coach for Falls Church High School, designing workouts and training athletes in jump events.  During the 2019-2020 season, she was an assistant at St. Ursula, teaching Olympic lifting and organizing practice facilities.
 
A native of Boa Vista, Brazil, Lima attended Toledo University where she won the 2019 MAC Indoor championship in the Pentathlon, finished second in the high jump at the 2018 MAC Indoor, and earned a 3rd place finish in the 2020 MAC indoor high jump. She was named a Distinguished Scholar Athlete by the Mid-American Conference.
 
Prior to college, she represented the Brazilian Army in national and international competitions and placed second in the military pentathlon.