Age: 10
Hometown: Eugene, OR
Diagnosis: T-cell lymphoma
Shoe: Nike Air Force 1 ‘07
Julia Child once said that there’s no end to imagination in the kitchen – and Oli would tend to agree. This aspiring chef loves whipping up dishes for his family, putting his own special touches on everything from veggie tacos to African yam stew.
Oli was diagnosed with cancer when he was in kindergarten, which required long hospital stays and five rounds of chemotherapy. When he relapsed in 2024, Oli also underwent a bone marrow transplant to help him grow more healthy blood cells and boost his immune system. Oli now celebrates a second birthday in August in recognition of the day he was given this life-saving procedure.
His cancer treatment was a lengthy process that left Oli feeling overwhelmed. So like a true foodie, he decided to replace all the complex names of his medications with the names of his favorite foods and even made posters to help his nurses keep track of it all.
“Tylenol became ‘Teriyaki,’ platelets were ‘pasta,’ and Cellcept was ‘salsa,’” Oli explained. “It just made everything a little more fun and a little less scary.”
In addition to his culinary skills, Oli loves to sing, ride his bike and paint – especially rainbows. He estimates that he’s created well over 100 rainbow paintings and shares them with his family, friends and medical team as a symbol of hope, positivity and unity.
You’ll find one of those rainbows covering the outsole of Oli’s signature Air Force 1 to help you look on the bright side when the going gets tough. A garden of vegetables on the sockliner represents the bountiful garden he tends with his family, and should you feel like snacking on the go, there’s a miniature set of stainless-steel utensils on the upper. As for the embossed olive branches on the Swoosh, those are a nod to Oli’s full name, Oliver. They also echo his medical journey.
“We planted a little olive tree in our yard when I was born, and when I got sick, the tree got sick too,” he explained. “As soon as I started getting better, so did our tree.”
For Oli, the only thing better than getting to design a custom Nike shoe is knowing that his shoe will benefit other young patients. “The fact that it will help save other kids’ lives makes me happy,” he smiled. “Really happy.”
“A hero inspires and encourages you in everything you do. For me, that’s my mom.”
