Beyond the spear: Trulaske alumna and javelin star Sophia Rivera Hassemer, on her life as a professional athlete

By Elleyna Rudman

From typical childhood sports to professional javelin star, Sophia Rivera Hassemer’s journey as an athlete is one for the books.

Born in Puerto Rico and growing up all over the world, Rivera Hassemer has had an array of new experiences throughout her life. In addition to Puerto Rico, her family lived in Belgium, Italy and New Jersey before settling in Missouri when Rivera Hassemer was in middle school. 

She exhibited athletic prowess early on and played a variety of sports including softball, basketball, soccer and track. Her track coach had eventually persuaded her to try out javelin – and before long, she was a star-in-the-making. 

While she continued to play softball and basketball throughout high school, her performance in javelin became increasingly impressive. After graduating from high school in 2016, Rivera Hassemer began her college career at the University of Wisconsin, an NCAA Division I school. 

A place like home

After two years, Rivera Hassemer transferred to the University of Missouri, where she found a family atmosphere at the Trulaske College of Business. 

“Coming to Mizzou, it really was like a family,” she said. “I felt welcomed, encouraged and supported.”

But no matter the university, competing at a high level with the added responsibilities of academics meant Rivera Hassemer’s schedule as a student-athlete was rigid. She often scheduled her classes back-to-back to maximize her time to train and study. While the demands left little room for free time, Rivera Hassemer thrived under pressure. In December 2021, she graduated from Trulaske's 150-Hour Accounting Program, which merges a bachelor of science in accounting and a master of accountancy, and received a certificate in assurance. With additional years of athletic eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and several injuries, Rivera Hassemer was able to continue competing at the college level and complete a degree through the Crosby MBA program in May 2023. 

Throughout her academic career, Rivera Hassemer benefitted from the help of supportive faculty members, including Kathryn Bartley, an associate teaching professor, who was a guiding force through her difficult accounting courses. Additionally, J. Scott Christianson, associate teaching professor, brought her on as a teaching assistant and invited her to join the operations team at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), where he works as the director. Over the years, Christianson has gotten to know Rivera Hassemer and her work ethic.

“It has been fun to watch her continue to grow professionally and as a person, and she has also helped me be a better manager,” Christianson said. “She brings the focus and discipline that make her an exceptional athlete to her work as CEI's grand master of operations, where she has taken the lead on standardizing and automating our procedures, so we have the time to take on new projects.”

Professional businesswoman and athlete

Today, Rivera Hassemer is manager of operations at CEI, a position that has allowed her to put her business education into practice. CEI, which provides student entrepreneurs with opportunities to expand and improve their businesses, has allowed Rivera Hassemer to help students introduce helpful technology into their professional lives. With access to virtual and augmented reality headsets, artificial intelligence and workshops that teach the fundamentals of coding, students leave CEI with an adept ability to incorporate technology into their business models. 

Rivera Hassemer’s time at Mizzou as a student-athlete and employee has provided her with a support system that has been integral to her success today. Now as a professional athlete on the Puerto Rican National Team, her life can be quite unpredictable, and she often receives little notice before having to leave the country to compete. Despite the variability of her career as an athlete, the family she’s built at Mizzou has given Rivera Hassemer confidence in her future.

“I received the training I needed to be within reach of the Olympics and the education I needed to have a professional career at the same time,” she said. “I don’t know exactly where I’m going to land, but I know I’ll land on my feet.”

Rivera Hassemer has traveled around the world representing both the United States and Puerto Rico in elite track meets. Visiting 37 countries over the course of her life has provided her with a global perspective that has a profound impact on her as an athlete, a businesswoman and a person. Various cultures have introduced her to their landscape, architecture, language and food. According to Rivera Hassemer, it’s impossible to pick a favorite place. Her travels have left a significant impression on her life — one that she feels is truly priceless. 

What lies ahead

In hopes of competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Rivera Hassemer will continue to travel and represent Puerto Rico at meets around the world. The intricate world ranking system that will determine her qualification makes this season vital in securing her place at the Olympics.

Rivera Hassemer’s global perspective has magnified her love for Puerto Rico. The opportunity to travel the world and bring recognition back to the small island is a highlight of her career.

“It’s an honor I’m never going to get tired of,” she said. “The best feeling is representing something that’s bigger than me, but also apart of me.”