Beyond the Court: Olivia Petersen

Olivia Petersen (Liv) is not a fresh face to the AAU Volleyball circuit, but her story of perseverance and dedication to not let outside influencers tear her down is a story that reigns true in many of today’s athletes. We first met Peterson in 2015 at the AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships, where she played for the River City Juniors 15-1 team. It was then we learned about how the Harlan, Iowa native overcame the odds and Childhood Bullying.
 
Petersen was born prematurely, causing her to be allergic to almost everything. She was on several medicines and steroids that unfortunately made her bloated and bigger than her peers. “It made it tough for me to do activities like running. I could barely breathe, and my face would get really red.” Kids at school were cruel to Petersen and would call her names, like fat or tell her she wasn’t good at sports. “I would hear it and then I would go home and talk to my mom about it,” said Petersen. “She would tell me not to listen to them, and that I was a beautiful person no matter what.”
 
Despite the odds, Petersen used sports as a way to prove people wrong and start over. Her chance at fresh start came after hearing about a camp at The Volleyball Academy in Omaha, Nebraska. The camp was short drive away from her home town, but it was the new beginning she needed. “Everyone there I wasn’t familiar with,” said Petersen. “They didn’t really know me until I came there and started to get to know them too.” Her hard work and newfound personality caught the eye of the Rivers City Volleyball team, sparking a seven-year journey for Petersen.
 
The new team enabled Petersen to put the bullying and the past behind her. Now at 19 years of age, Petersen says she wish she could tell her third grade self to “stay positive continuously and never get down on myself. Never be afraid to explore and get out there a little bit.” Beyond the court, Petersen has helped so many other children overcome the effects of bullying. “It hasn’t been uncommon for parents to reach out to Liv to help their own kids,” said Tami Petersen, Liv’s mom. “Liv has many times gone and picked up their child, take then for ice cream and let them know she believes in them and will always be there for them.”
 
Now that AAU 18U Junior National Volleyball Championships has come and gone, Petersen can’t help but feel the bittersweet feeling of the end of her River City Volleyball career. “I know [my teammates] are going to be my friends forever, but just not being able to play with them next year will be a little rough,” said Petersen. “On the bright side, we have all this technology, so I can always talk to them.” Luckily, Petersen won’t be too far away from Omaha as she will be a few towns over at Briar Cliff University, where she will be playing collegiate volleyball.
 
Petersen’s dream is to major in physical therapy, but “even if I don’t stick with physical therapy, I know I will be in the medical field somewhere,” said Petersen. In addition to starting college, Petersen has helped coach at The Volleyball Academy over the last six years. She enjoys helping other young girls believe in themselves and to concentrate on the positive. Who knows maybe one day they will rise above the animosity and find themselves playing sports on the big stage, too!