Portrait of American track and field athlete, Janne Kassanavoid, wearing a pink Nike Dri-FIT tee with matching eyeshadow. She stands against a blurred dark background.

Hammer Thrower Janee’ Kassanavoid Is Ready to Leave Her Mark

July 31, 2024

Nike athlete Janee’ Kassanavoid didn’t intend to be a hammer thrower. She fell into the event by chance while on her track and field team in high school — and found a sport she could dominate.

In 2022 at the World Track and Field Championships, Janee’, a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, threw a hammer almost 75 meters — that’s nearly three quarters of a football field — to win bronze, becoming the first Native woman to medal at Worlds. Janee’'s take on her success: "Knowing I'm Native American, I'm Indigenous, I'm a woman, and having strength and that body confidence and being proud of who I am and where I come from — that is what I want to leave behind."

Listen below to hear more of what Janee’ thinks about breaking records and barriers, from an audio excerpt of our Nike On Air episode with Womanica.

Nike On Air Janee' Kassanavoid Excerpt

To hear the full interview with Janee’ — and learn more about her rise in the sport, her work to get Native athletes into sport, and how to properly throw the hammer — check out the Womanica podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.