In 1986, President Ronald Reagan was speaking at a proclamation for what was called “The Year of the Flag” when he shared what he felt were symbolic meanings for each color of the Stars and Stripes.
“The colors of our flag signify the qualities of the human spirit we Americans cherish,” Reagan said. “Red for courage and readiness to sacrifice; white for pure intentions and high ideals; and blue for vigilance and justice.”
United States Air Force 2nd Lieutenant Viva Kreis may have not thought of the flag like that when she said the Pledge of Allegiance or stood for the national anthem during her childhood, but she feels a much greater personal connection to the red, white, and blue now.
“It means so much when you hear the national anthem before every handball game. The flag means so much to me now that I am representing our country in the maximum way possible. It’s something I don’t take lightly.”
That deeper connection is 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 Olympics in Los Angeles, CA.
“As a little kid, the big goal is to compete at the Olympics and represent Team USA. I didn’t know it would be in handball. It wasn’t even on my radar.”
Her dual roles as Airman and athlete are possible thanks to the Air Force’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). WCAP is a specialized military initiative that allows elite athletes to train and compete full-time in international sports while serving as active-duty Airmen or Guardians. Unlike standard duty assignments, WCAP athletes are assigned to the program as their primary duty. This allows them to focus entirely on their athletic training, coaching, and competition schedules.
Young Viva was already impacted by service thanks to her mother’s career in the Army. Kreis entered WCAP after completing Officer Training School. She is connected to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, but she is currently based in France, where she is training and playing with a professional handball team to maximize her skill set as the Olympics draw closer. Even though she is a long way from home, she adjusted to her new settings quickly.
“It’s definitely my cup of tea, and I’m in my element,” she said. “I’m very excited.”
Discovering a Different Sport
Handball is a very popular sport in Europe, which is why Kreis is currently there.
“Handball players here are seen as celebrities. Kids run up to them when they see them,” she shared. Kreis describes the sport as “soccer with the hands” or “water polo on land.” A traditional court is slightly longer than a basketball court with goals on 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 extremely fast paced,” Kreis acknowledged. “It’s high-flying, high paced, and full contact. There are some aspects that Americans would love.”
As popular as it may in her current part of the world, it isn’t as established in the United States. Prior to falling in love with the sport, she played soccer, basketball, and took part in long distance running in Pennsylvania where she grew up. However, she discovered the sport during gym class. After she told her mother about her new favorite sport and that she wanted to pursue it, they had to travel nearly an hour away where a group of gentlemen taught her how to play.
“I thought I was going to just watch, but they had me come onto the court and gave me a women’s handball to use. I still have it to this day.”
During the pandemic, she joined the USA Team Handball Youth Advisory Council and got more involved with the sport. The group of ten were tasked to grow handball in the U.S. After her basketball team got eliminated from their tournament in 2022, Kreis went on to try for the under 20 national handball team and made it.
“Less than a month later, I was playing in the North American championships,” she recalled. Five months later, she was in the World Championship. Fast forward to now, and she shares a court with pros and is prursuing the biggest stage in sports while also serving her country.
She is Also an Author
Kreis isn’t just passionate about handball and the military. She also enjoys the written word and journalism. That’s why she graduated from Arizona State University in May 2025 with a degree in Mass Communication and Media Studies. She has used that education to learn more about women’s sports with the intention of sharing that knowledge with kids. She went as far as traveling to every WNBA city to interview executives and players about their careers. This served not only as education for her to absorb but to pass it on to others as well.
In 2023, Kreis wrote her first children’s book, She Did That!?: Amazing Female Athletes from A to Z, which focuses on female athletic role models. The book includes athletes from different sports and backgrounds. She hopes it will reach young girls and inspire them to pursue their own goals and dreams as she had.
“My mom used to read me stories about athletes every night, but the majority of them were male,” she recalled. “I wanted to fill that gap so that little girls and boys could see women achieving success through sports.”
A Bright Future for a Bright American
Even though she hasn’t even turned 21 yet, Kreis has already accomplished a lot both as an athlete and a source of inspiration. Instead of relying on her early success, she’s doubling down on the grind of an athlete while preparing for a career in the Air Force following the Olympics. Kreis not only sees herself retiring from the Air Force but establishing a path that others can follow, and that is all the incentive she needs to make the most of the opportunities in front of her.
“There could be little kids tuning into the 2028 Olympics and seeing me and thinking ‘she’s in the military? I can do that and play sports?’ That’s really what it’s all about; empowering the next generation.”
More information about WCAP can be found at this website.
You can also follow Kreis’ journey towards the Olympics on Instagram and purchase her book here.
M&F Senior Military Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this article.