Soccer's Olivia Gelpi Q&A, delivered by RoadRunnerApp.com

Louisiana Athletics has teamed up with RoadRunnerApp.com to offer a new series on RaginCajuns.com in which student-athletes share details on how they've adjusted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and offer insight into their personal lives.

In this Q&A feature article, you will "Get to Kneaux" Ragin' Cajuns soccer midfielder Olivia Gelpi. A native of Bay St. Louis, Miss., she played in 18 matches as a freshman in 2019 and helped Louisiana to a 9-8-3 record and a semifinal berth in the Sun Belt Conference Women's Soccer Championships.

What has become your daily routine during quarantine?
OG: "My daily routine involves a 7:30 a.m. wake up each day followed by a breakfast. Then I do schoolwork up until 10:30. Between 10:30-1:00 I have meetings with either my team, my nutritionist, or my professors. At noon, I eat lunch and I prepare for a workout that involves playing with a soccer ball, a run, and a lift organized by our athletic performance staff. After that it is around 3:00. From then on, I spend quality time with my family playing games, going on walks, and going to the beach. 9:30 is bedtime. This is my daily routine during quarantine."

What has Head Coach Key's message to your team been during this unprecedented time?
OG: "Coach Key has been adamant in keeping in touch with us. We have scheduled team meetings on Tuesdays, and he reaches out on our team group message. During this unprecedent time, he has stressed a lot of good information like take advantage of the extra family time and downtown, but my favorite message he sent was about ownership. R. VanPersie talked in a video about his son. He recounted a story about his son acting like a loser because he complained about not playing, but R. VanPersie brought to his attention that you did not say one thing about yourself. He was saying you did not take ownership for your actions; that is a winner. I think during this time it is easy to be a loser and complain about the circumstances and not do what we are expected to be doing this time. Coach Key expects us to act like winners, to take accountability, to work hard, do what you should do on and off the field, and to be there for one another."

How have you and your teammates stuck together remotely during this challenging time period?
OG: "Our team is one family that is broken into smaller families. Each week we have a zoom meeting with our family to chat and spend time together, and each day we send our workout in our small family snap chat group chat. We have a big family meeting, team meeting, once a week, as well. Also, there is a team group chat and a team snap chat group chat with just players we communicate in."

An important question: what is your favorite food?
OG: "My favorite food are bell peppers."

Take us back to when you decided to come to the University and become a Ragin' Cajun. What about the school helped you make that decision?
OG: "I come from a very small community. Everyone knows everyone. When I arrived at Lafayette, I was greeted with open arms by everyone I met. The generosity and the hospitality are truly unmatchable by any college or community. The university and the community of Lafayette made me feel like this was a home away from home."

What is your earliest sports memory?
OG: "When I was 7, my dad was my coach. We would ride to and from games together, and he was my coach. My favorite memory was with him being my coach."

Growing up, your sports hero was who? And why?
OG: "Growing up, I did not really have a sports hero until 7th grade. There was an older girl named, Sarah Rimmer on our soccer team. She was by far the best on our team. She ran the fastest, competed at the highest level, and was a winner. I remember we would run a 5K every Tuesday during preseason. Every run, I would try to stay running with her. This was difficult because she ran a sub 20-minute 5K. Every competition, I would try to beat her. I looked up to her. Honestly, she pushed me to be the best player I could be, and I do not think she knows it. In the end, she graduated and attended Millsaps for soccer."

What class have you enjoyed most at the University so far?
OG: "My favorite class at university is Chemistry. I have taken two chemistry classes so far, Chem 1&2 both with Professor Krueger. He is a very invested professor and is dedicated to excellence."

Soccer's Olivia Gelpi Q&A, delivered by RoadRunnerApp.com

Players Mentioned

Olivia Gelpi

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