Hailing from the Bronx, 16-year-old Olivia Kelly is making history as a Level 10 elite gymnast and inspiring young entrepreneur.
Her mother, a former collegiate cheerleader, quickly recognized Olivia’s passion and talent for gymnastics and has helped her strive for greatness throughout her life. As a young and up-and-coming creative black entrepreneur, Olivia works hard to make her dreams a reality and uses sponsorship involvement to empower other young gymnasts.
At just 16 years old, Olivia has achieved many impressive victories in her life thus far.
A 2022 World Gymnastics Championship Qualifier
A Barbados National Team member, Olivia began gymnastics at just three years old and began competing at the age of 6. As a 2022 World Gymnastics Championship participant, Olivia has won 19 all-around championships, 17 balance beam championships, 15 uneven bar championships, 16 floor exercise championships, and 11 vault championships.
Her other awards include:
- New York State Champion
- New Jersey State Champion
- 3x Level 10 USAG National Qualifier
- USAG Eastern National Champion
- Region 6 Champion
- Region 7 Champion
- MSO Top 5 Gymnasts of the Year
- MSO Top 25 Gymnasts of the Year
- Chalk Warrior Gymnast of the Year
Today, Olivia is recognized as one of the top young gymnasts in the world, and she has the sponsorships to prove it. But Olivia doesn’t just stop at being a great athlete; she also has a vision for a better world. Her mission is to use her experience and sponsorships as a platform to help other gymnasts and entrepreneurs reach her level of success.
A Love of Gymnastics Becomes an Opportunity to Help Others
At the age of 12, Olivia began attending an online school at her gymnastics academy. She’s also founded Leos 4 Liberty, a leotard donation organization that helps underprivileged youth gain access to the essential gear they need to continue their gymnastics training. In addition, she’s currently partnered with GK Elite Leotards and plans to publish a kids’ book this April. Sponsorships like these help Olivia continue to spread awareness and provide her with additional opportunities to help others.
Olivia’s contributions have helped many families needing assistance pay for the costly gear associated with gymnastics. Between the cost of travel, leotards, and classes, some families struggle to keep up with the investment needed for their children to pursue their dreams. By donating essential leotards and using her sponsorships as a platform to help young gymnasts, Olivia has created an opportunity for many kids in need.
She’s also become a role model for many students and peers by volunteering at pet supply drives, her local Thanksgiving soup kitchen, and clothes and food drives each year. Additionally, she participates in Angel Tree, a gift-giving program, to help children in need.
Building Her Personal Brand For The FutureÂ
Along with gymnastics, Olivia’s 3.7 GPA enabled her to receive numerous full athletic scholarship offers to attend college in 2024. She is proud to announce she has accepted one from the University of Missouri. In addition to academics, she is aspiring to be a model for brands like Fenty since she is a huge fan of Rihanna. She is also developing skills as an actress and using her athletic ability as a Hollywood stunt double to expand her brand on the big screen. Olivia is thoughtfully developing a well-rounded personal brand that will enable her to market herself lucratively while inspiring others and creating a lasting impact in the world.
We can all learn from the resilience and passion of Olivia Storm Kelly. She’s an inspiring example of a young black creative entrepreneur who has harnessed her own successes to empower herself and others. With her bright future ahead, we look forward to witnessing Olivia’s brand make a lasting impact on the world.
Be sure to check out Olivia in this April’s Scholastic Choices magazineand follow her on Instagram and YouTube.