General 02.14.23

Meet Olivia Lavieri

Olivia is a 12-year-old below knee amputee who inspires everyone she meets. Olivia lost her leg below her knee at a very young age and was introduced 3 seasons ago to Hurricanes Sled Hockey in Raleigh, North Carolina. She immediately fell in love with the sport and has become a leader on her team and amongst her peers.  Olivia is dedicated to her sport attending weekend practices and traveling for tournaments.

As a proud member of the Hurricanes, Olivia plays offensive positions where she motivates her teammates on and off the ice.  She is a hero of sport with the Challenged Athletes Foundation and most recently received a grant from the Hanger Foundation to help grow HSH and her passion for the sport. Olivia also received a travel grant from Fillauer to attend a tournament in St. Louis this summer. This will allow her to grow as a player and an individual and meet others individuals just like her! Olivia hopes to continue training and one day play for team USA Sled Hockey! 

For those of you that have never seen sled hockey, it is worth checking out. Players sit in specially designed sleds that sit on top of two hockey skate blades.  Rather than one hockey stick, each player has two which have an ice pick on one side and a traditional style stick on the other. This allows players to propel themselves as well as handle the puck on the ice.  Hockey truly is for everyone and individuals like Olivia show us that Hockey changes lives.