Olivia Chauntelle Fowler-Courtney, who goes by the name of Olivia (aka Liv) Courtney, was born on March 26, 1992 at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to Ivory Courtney, who was an avid boxer and Tonia Fowler-Courtney who retired from the USAF, and is employed by the US government. She has an elder sister, Crystal, who is a former Level 10 Gymnast and competitiveMorehead State Cheerleader. Olivia began gymnastics in Louisville Kentucky when she was just two years old. By the time she was four she was invited to join the junior pre team. Her first gymnastics performance was in front of a thousands of gymnastics fans at the 1996 gymnastics Olympic World Tour. Olivia advanced to level 5 at the age of six, but could not compete due to USAG's age requirement. One month after turning seven, Olivia competed her first competition at level 5, and won the All Around with a 35.40. Olivia competed level 6 at age seven. She spent the next two years at level 7. In 2002, she advanced to level 8 and became the Virginia All Around state champion. In the 2003/2004 competition season, Olivia competed one level 9 meet, advanced to level 10 qualifying to Level 10 Junior Olympics Championships (2004), and began her pursuit to become an elite Gymnast. In 2005 Olivia won the junior American Challenge pre-elite optional completion, and Marta Karolyi invited her to the National Team training camp.
