With the 2024 Olympics less than a month away, the country's top athletes are deep into preparations for Paris. One of the people who is helping those athletes get ready is Fort Myers taekwondo instructor Nikki Oliver. Grandmaster Nikki's path to the Olympics all started with a kick in ballet class.
"My dad actually put me into taekwondo and it’s the funny joke of the entire town now," Oliver said.
Nikki grew up with dreams of being a ballerina. However, her feet had a different plan.
"I kicked my dance teacher, and he immediately put me into combat sports after that," Oliver said.
She's able to laugh about it now, especially after the amazing career Nikki has put together. At just 3 years old, Oliver was forced to trade in her leotard for a dobok, but she never lost that kick. Instead, she leaned into it and got hooked on the sport of taekwondo.
"I loved sparring," Oliver said. "I loved hitting things. It was my all-time favorite outlet."
That passion led to Nikki earning a spot on the Puerto Rico Taekwondo National Team. She competed for her home country for years, taking home plenty of hardware along the way. She was even named the Puerto Rican Female Athlete of the Year.
After a successful fighting career, Oliver switched over to the coaching side where she's found even more success.
"It was a progressive feeling being able to compete and be successful at different levels in your career," Oliver said.
Now, Nikki runs and coaches at World Championship Taekwondo in Gateway. In addition to teaching Southwest Florida fighters of all ages, she also coaches Team USA athletes at different national and international competitions. Nikki has left numerous of those meets with top coach honors.
What started with a kick in dance class has led to an Olympic dream. Nikki has leveraged her Team USA experience into an invite to the U.S. Taekwondo Olympic Training Camp.
“There’s no secret formula, and it’s not like a very clear pathway," Oliver said about working her way to where she is. "All the stars have to align.”
Not only have the stars aligned, but also the stripes. Nikki is headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, next week to help prepare America's best four taekwondo athletes for the Paris Olympics.
"It’s such a big honor," Oliver said. "It’s a really cool feeling to see them go through this process themselves."
Oliver is hoping next week's training camp will lead to more Olympic coaching opportunities.
"This is the very beginning parts of my more professional career," Oliver said. "I want those LA games. That is a hard goal I have."
As she coaches the Paris Olympians and sets her sights on Los Angeles in 2028, Nikki also reflects on that ballet teacher who helped kickstart her taekwondo career.
"I’m sorry," she said with a smile on her face. "I think it was kind of worth it."