Sharing a gold medal? The US reaction was ‘such a contrast’ to Australia’s, says Nina

Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we’re told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they’re given. This week, he talks Nina Kennedy. The Olympic pole vaulter, 27, made international headlines when she shared a gold medal with her US rival at the World Athletics Championships last year. She’s now after the top podium in Paris – for herself.

“America was like, ‘There should be only one winner; you girls are cowards!’ It felt really nice coming back to Australia.”

POLITICS

Was there a message you wanted to convey by deciding to share the gold medal with Katie Moon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last August?
It was more like, “This is the decision that I’m making for myself” but, in a weird way, I think that expresses the values that I hold. It shows how I grew up in Australia – and how important sport, sportsmanship and women in sport are for me.

Expand on those values. What are they, specifically?
Have a go at everything, even if you suck. My dad also really instilled sportsmanship in me. People might run races, look behind them and be like, “I won by soooo much!” Dad was like, “Don’t you ever do that.” With tennis, Mum was like, “Don’t you ever smash your racquet and have a tantrum.” Sport is meant to be a happy place.

Moon copped flak online for sharing gold with you. Some people called it shameful, even pathetic [because both women chose not to proceed to a jump-off to break the tie]. Did you get any of that criticism or abuse in Australia?
It really highlighted the fact that I was coming back to a country where the commentary was very much like, “Yeah, the f---ing girls! Great sportsmanship! Amazing!” Also, I have to thank the ’Tillies [Matildas]. They just set a really good vibe in the country [during the FIFA Women’s World Cup]. Then, a few weeks later, I won gold and it felt like this continuation of women in sport. That was so nice. To look at Katie posting on Instagram and having to defend her decision – it’s such a contrast. America was like, “There should only be one winner; you girls are cowards!” It felt really nice coming back to Australia knowing Australians supported my decision.

Does anything about Australia make you cringe?
I don’t want to get too political, but the fact that the Indigenous Voice to Parliament didn’t pass … I felt really embarrassed. I think a lot of countries were looking at us like, “What the f---?”

If you ran for office, what would be on the agenda?
I would love to make sport safer.

BODIES

Is it true you won the world title with a broken back?
Yeah, I had a stress fracture, a partial fracture, in my L5.

When most people have a broken bone, they can barely function. You won a world title. How did you do that?
In hindsight, I knew. I was in a lot of pain at the time. But the thing in sport is that sometimes you just have to forget it’s there and get on with the job.

That sounds like agony, though.
It is, but at the end of the day, if I don’t compete, I don’t get paid. It’s like if you have a migraine, you might still go to work. You need to get paid, right? Same for me.

Do you have a higher pain threshold than others?
Maybe. But take last year. It’s like, you have this fracture in your back. “OK, well, we’re six weeks out from the world championship, and the goal is to win gold. What does that journey look like?” It’s taking all these things into consideration and getting to the end goal as best we can: managing the load, taking medication, getting physio. It’s all part of the job. I’ve had this injury for three-plus years now and it just highlights my genetic, interestingly shaped spine.

Tell me about your genetic, interestingly shaped spine.
My physio explained it to me the other day. He’s like, “Your spine is not set up to 100 per cent shock-absorb. All that force is going through one or two joints in your back, and it’s going to crack.”

Have I got this right? Your back does not absorb as much shock as other people’s … yet you’re doing a sport that requires you to absorb more shock than other people’s.
[Nods] It’s insane. My back health? It’s not good. You don’t want to see those images. But what am I going to do? Stop? Retire? What’s cool about my event is that you can get the same result in 100 different ways.

Pole vaulting looks nuts. Where do you even start?
People always say, “I can’t imagine myself doing that.” But in America and Europe, kids do it at school. It’s like javelin or shot-put over here, but anybody can do pole vaulting, honestly.

Do you have any tattoos?
I have a tiny one on my arm … [shows inside of left arm]

What is that? It looks like an equation …
It’s an M over a B.

What does that mean?
Mind over body.

MONEY

Outside of financial earnings, what would winning gold mean to you?
Obviously, there are other reasons you’re doing sport. It’s for fun, for memories, because this is an awesome career. But at the end of the day, people are there to win. And it’s something I’ve always dreamt of. But it was only last year, when I won gold in Budapest, where it was like, “This is a possibility. This is really doable.” That’s been really exciting. But there’s something really vulnerable and scary about that, too.

I get that. It’s a big display of vulnerability to say, “I want this and I’m in a position to get it.”
It is. And it’s not even about just saying it. It’s about letting myself truly believe that I can do it. I’ve set this year up to do that. If that doesn’t happen, I want to look back and say that I’m really proud of myself. I’m giving myself permission to dream. And if it doesn’t come true, then f--- yeah: I tried really damn hard!

You shared gold last time. Are you willing to share it again at the Olympics?
[Smiles] No.

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