“The colors of our flag symbolize the qualities of the human spirit that we Americans cherish,” Reagan said. “Red for courage and willingness to sacrifice; white for pure intentions and high ideals; and blue for vigilance and justice.”
U.S. Air Force Second Lieutenant Viva Kreis may not have thought much about the flag when she said the Pledge of Allegiance or stood for the national anthem growing up, but she now feels a much greater personal connection to the red, white and blue.
“It means so much when you hear the national anthem before every handball match. The flag means so much to me now that I represent our country as best as I can. I don’t take that lightly.”
That deeper connection comes because Kreis not only serves America in the Air Force, but she also represents the United States as an athlete, training and competing in handball with her sights set on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, CA.
“As a little kid, the big goal is to compete in the Olympics and represent Team USA. I didn’t know that would happen in handball. It wasn’t even on my radar.”
Her dual role as aviator and athlete is possible thanks to the The Air Force World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).. WCAP is a specialized military initiative that provides elite athletes the opportunity to train and compete full-time in international sports while serving as active-duty Airmen or Guardians. Unlike standard job assignments, WCAP athletes are assigned to the program as their primary job. This allows them to fully concentrate on their athletic training, coaching and competition schedules.
Young Viva was already affected by her service thanks to her mother’s career in the military. Kreis attended WCAP after completing Officer Training School. She is attached to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, but is currently based in France, where she trains and plays with a professional handball team to maximize her skills as the Olympics approach. Even though she is far from home, she has quickly adapted to her new environment.
“It’s definitely my thing, and I’m in my element,” she said. “I’m very excited.”
Discover another sport
Handball is a very popular sport in Europe and that is why Kreis is there at the moment.
“Handball players are seen as celebrities here. Children run to them when they see them,” she said. Kreis describes the sport as ‘football with the hands’ or ‘water polo on land’. A traditional court is slightly longer than a basketball court with goals at each end. The handball can be dribbled, passed or thrown towards the goal. The team that can score the most goals in 60 minutes is the winner.
“It’s happening extremely fast,” Kreis acknowledged. “It’s high-flying, fast-paced and full-contact. There are some aspects that Americans would love.”
As popular as it may be in its current part of the world, it is not as established in the United States. Before falling in love with the sport, she played soccer, basketball and competed in long-distance running in Pennsylvania, where she grew up. However, she discovered the sport during gym class. After telling her mother about her new favorite sport and that she wanted to play it, they had to drive almost an hour, where a group of gentlemen taught her how to play.
“I thought I was just going to watch, but they let me come out to the field and gave me a women’s handball to use. I still have it to this day.”
During the pandemic, she became a member of the USA Team Handball Youth Advisory Council and became more involved in the sport. The group of ten was tasked with growing handball in the US. After her basketball team was eliminated from their tournament in 2022, Kreis tried out for the under-20 national handball team and made it.
“Less than a month later I was playing in the North American Championships,” she recalls. Five months later she competed in the World Championship. Fast forward to now, and she’s sharing a court with professionals and taking to the biggest stage in sports while also serving her country.
She is also an author
Kreis not only has a passion for handball and the military. She also loves the written word and journalism. Therefore, she graduated from Arizona State University in May 2025 with a degree in mass communications and media studies. She used that education to learn more about women’s sports, with the intention of sharing that knowledge with children. She even traveled to every WNBA city to interview executives and players about their careers. This served not only as a learning tool for her to absorb, but also to pass on to others.
In 2023, Kreis wrote her first children’s book, She Did That!?: Amazing Female Athletes from A to Zthat focuses on female athletic role models. The book features athletes from different sports and backgrounds. She hopes it will reach young girls and inspire them to pursue their own goals and dreams, just as she did.
“My mother would read me stories about athletes every night, but the majority of them were male,” she recalls. “I wanted to fill that gap so little girls and boys could see women achieving success through sports.”
A bright future for a smart American
Even though she’s not even 21 yet, Kreis has already achieved a lot as an athlete and inspiration. Instead of banking on her early success, she’s doubling down on the grind of an athlete as she prepares for a career in the Air Force after the Olympics. Kreis not only sees herself retiring from the Air Force, but setting a path for others to follow, and that’s all the incentive she needs to make the most of the opportunities before her.
“There may be little kids tuning into the 2028 Olympics who see me and think, ‘She’s in the military? Can I do that and play sports?’ That’s really what it’s all about; empowering the next generation.”
More information about WCAP can be found on this website.
You can also follow Kreis’ journey towards the Olympics on Instagram and buy her book here.
M&F Senior Military Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this article.
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