09/24/2026
An article from "Life on the Spectrum" about our Junior Olivia Garrean.
Steve Garrean remembers his daughter’s first wrestling practice clearly. The warmups, the room full of people watching, a space she wasn’t comfortable in. Olivia ended up crying in the corner.
This spring, the Plattsmouth High School sophomore won the Nebraska state championship at 170 pounds. Four matches. Four wins.
Olivia, who is autistic, believes she’s the first diagnosed autistic girl to win a state wrestling title. What she talks about more is what the sport gave her: a way to keep going when something is hard, and the habit of not giving up. Her dad says the biggest change hasn’t been on the mat. It’s who she’s become.
Her coach says the staff takes her diagnosis into account and then treats her like everyone else. And then he says the part that matters: she’s one of the team’s leaders.
Since the title, autistic people she’s never met have been messaging her. She said it made a difference to a lot of people who struggle with the same things she does.
Two years ago she couldn’t get through warmups. Now other kids are watching her to see how it’s done.
📰 : WOWT (April 2026)
