Gladiator Livi Sheldon – aka Diamond – chats about empowering others, finding strength and why sport is her safe haven
WORDS: LAUREN MORRIS AND PHOEBE TONKS
GOING STRONG
After being cruelly bullied throughout her childhood, Livi Sheldon wanted her Gladiator name to reflect the inner strength she found to overcome her trauma and find success as a TV star. She discarded several monikers that didn’t quite fit, finally naming herself Diamond, after the hardest mineral on Earth. “Diamond, in essence, is an extension of Livi,” explains the star, 29.
“So she’s strong. She’s powerful. She shines bright in any sector of creation. She is unbreakable. It was just fitting. After going through a few names, it’s just the one that absolutely stuck. I love it. I love being Diamond.”
Livi, who is a powerful 6ft tall, had a difficult childhood at the hands of bullies who called her cruel names because of her height. Now, she wants to inspire the children who watch Gladiators to rise above taunts and focus on their passions.
“I was bullied for pretty much all of my childhood, from the start of primary school and right up to the end of high school,” shares Livi. “It’s a lot to go through.”
It was thanks to her love of football that Livi first got into sport. “Being a part of a football team, I immersed myself into that,” says Livi. “It was my safe haven, which I absolutely loved.”
Now, as a Gladiator, she is hoping to empower others to embrace their true selves. “I hope I can show people that being unique is your superpower,” says Livi.
And to anyone being bullied, Livi has this advice: “Ignore them. Ignore them as much as you can and just be yourself because you never know where you’re going to end up. Look at me now. I’m a Gladiator.
“So to anyone who’s watching who is getting bullied, just keep going and find something to really get into – whether it’s football, bodybuilding, athletics or another sport, completely immerse yourself in that. You never know what you’re going to be good at.”
Livi played football throughout her school years until she was 19. But when it ended, she found herself struggling to find the right direction.
“After that, I was at a little bit of a loss at what to do,” confesses Livi. “I found the gym. Absolutely loved it, loved the way you can sculpt your physique really, and the strength that you get from training.”
From there a career
