While most people would easily classify Olivia Smith as a Brazilian National, the truth is that her birth country of Trinidad and Tobago has little to do with her current football career. Smith was born in Trinidad and Tobago but her heart belongs to the United States of America. Smith was raised in Florida, where she enjoyed playing soccer with her friends and family. When Smith was in college, she wasn’t very sure about her nationality or whether she could be called a “real American” because she didn’t really understand the meaning of being an American. But after fulfilling her mandatory service in the armed forces, Smith was accepted into the class of 2021 with a special scholarship to the University of Maryland University College.
When Smith received this amazing award, it was a huge honor for herself and for the soldiers who had given their lives for her country. Now at the age of 34, Smith is a proud women’s soccer player with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. Smith is an executive producer for Soccer Refresher, an online series that features former MLS players and coaches as guest speakers. She also does background reporting for various outlets, including ESPN. As a woman who loves soccer, she definitely has a lot of insight on the sport and the different roles of women in the media can play in telling great stories.
Smith has an extensive love of travel, which came to light during a recent episode of her podcast, The Pitch. Smith was excited about the opportunity to be a contributor for a company that works with companies to bring them to different destinations and tell exciting stories from their experiences. Smith not only brings a fresh perspective to these stories, but she also has the technical know-how to produce quality podcasts for various media platforms. In an industry where Women’s media is a growing and very important part of the marketplace, Smith’s voice and expertise are appreciated and will no doubt be used more often in the future.