'Being unique is your superpower'

Gladiator Livi Sheldon – aka Diamond – chats about empowering others, finding strength and why sport is her safe haven

- LAUREN MORRIS

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.”