From two toddler tumblers rolling across the matted floor to high school athletes — a college level gymnast and four-star football player — Logan and Olivia Ahern (11) would begin their athletic careers from before they could read, but it would build a talent that would follow them into their high school and college endeavors 

Sports has held a deeply intrinsic value in the Ahern family: from the cheerleading both parents did in college to the accomplishments of both Ahern children, athletics has opened many doors, and it has brought them closer together. 

“Every year I’ve competed I’ve qualified for state,” Olivia Ahern said. “Recently, [in] the past probably five years, I’ve been to regionals, and I’ve been to nationals four times. [But my parents have] been so [supportive]: anything that I wanted to do, they were like ‘we’ll keep this door open’ … Overall, they’ve been the perfect image of what you would want your parents to be.” 

Having done gymnastics since she was early in elementary school, Olivia Ahern has experienced a journey through gymnastics full of twists and turns. To further pursue gymnastics, she left public schooling and entered homeschool. Soon, her days were filled with many round-offs, cartwheels and handstands, practicing five days a week for a total of  20 hours. However, all of this hard work seems to have paid off. 

“I am actually verbally committed to Auburn University,” Olivia Ahern said. “When I was younger … I went to all these different camps … and then this year I was actually able to talk to them, so I called them on the phone and went over details … [now I have] a full-ride athletic scholarship.”

Rated a four-star kicker and having played on the state team for soccer — which meant he was one of 15 to 18 people picked to represent the state in a game against other state teams — Logan Ahern’s career in both soccer and football has also been full of success. Along with his achievements in both sports, come a group of people cheering for him the entire time. 

“The environment of football is more like a family and a brotherhood where we hold everyone accountable and push everyone to their best [at] what they need to do,” Logan Ahern said. 

For Olivia Ahern, having been mentored throughout the years, she enjoys having the opportunity to give back the same teachings that were passed down to her and help the next generations avoid some of the mistakes she made. 

“Now I kind of see myself as a leader and a role model to the younger ones,” Olivia Ahern said.“So, I like to encourage them and just kind of set the tone for practice. I think it’s amazing seeing how excited they get when I do something, or how excited I get to be when I see them do something. It’s just kind of full cycle, you look up to [the older generation], you improve and then you become the person that other people look up to.”

However, even amidst the sense of community they have found in their respective sports, one aspect that never changes is the family that has supported them through all of these endeavors. The successes of both athletes not only propels them forward into a brighter future, but brings joy to their parents who have been with them every step of the way. 

“Both Logan and Olivia have been successful in athletics and it certainly makes me proud as a parent,” Shannon Ahern said. “I’m happy that they put in the effort required to be successful. It’s exciting to see them find their passion and a bonus for them to find success doing it.”

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