Nina Kennedy
Nina has spent more than a decade building her legacy in pole vault. As the first Australian woman to win an Olympic field event gold medal, she’s already reached incredible heights – but she’s just getting started.
Help & support
- As Founding Partner and Official Bank of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, CommBank is proud to continue its longstanding support of Australian sport.
- Pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, wheelchair basketballer Tristan Knowles OAM and rising star sprinter Calab Law share their career journeys, how they’ve overcome hard moments and what it means to represent their country.
"I want to be able to leave the sport with no regrets," says pole vaulter Nina Kennedy.
When did you first realise that belief was as important as physical ability in sport?
I got a tattoo that says “m/b” [mind and body] when I was really young. It sparked the belief that I have in myself now. Pole vault is such a difficult and technical sport that if you don’t have self-belief and know how to control those anxious thoughts before you compete, it’s game over. I had to learn to harness my mind from a young age and I use it as a bit of a superpower now. I train my mind as much as I train my body.
What has kept you going in the hardest moments?
I’ve been doing this for more than 15 years now so I’ve been around for a long time and with that comes some really hard years. When I’m going through a challenging time, I draw on my values. It’s about connecting with my team and being proud of how I conduct myself. I want to be able to leave the sport with no regrets.
As an athlete, how vital is the support system around you?
It can be quite lonely in an individual sport so you learn to rely on the people around you. Whether that’s your coach, your physio, your teammates or your friends and family, they see you in such a vulnerable state. But that honesty creates a connection that’s so important. It makes it possible to put all your goals on the line and handle whichever way it goes on the day.
What’s a piece of advice that has stayed with you?
The one that stands out most was from a few years ago. I was top eight in the world but I never really believed I could medal. I heard a quote along the lines of: “Dream as big as you can because somebody has to win the thing and why can’t it be you?” I know it sounds silly but I heard that and started asking myself, “Why can’t it be me? Why can’t I win?”
What does success look like to you now?
My definition of success is being able to look back knowing I’ve done everything I could within my control. It’s about the people around me, because they put in just as much work as I do. And it’s about creating lasting memories because, at the end of the day, memories are all we have.
How does it feel to pull on the green and gold?
After travelling the world for years and seeing so many different countries, I feel so proud to be Australian. The older I get, the more excited I am to put on the green and gold.
What legacy do you want to leave in Australian athletics beyond the medals?
I hope I’m remembered for believing in myself and being bold.
Tristan Knowles OAM
Tristan was nine years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer. He went on to represent Australia in wheelchair basketball at six Paralympic Games. His seventh, and final, is now within sight in 2028.
"Sport has taught me that greatness is possible for everyone," says Tristan Knowles OAM.
At what point did you realise that a career in sport was the dream for you?
I tried wheelchair basketball at the age of 15 and fell in love with the sport immediately. A year or two later, at a training camp, one of my first coaches – Gerry Hewson, who played at the 1996 Atlanta Games – popped on a highlight video of his team’s gold medal game to the song Holy Grail by Hunters and Collectors. I got goosebumps all over – even now when I tell the story sometimes, I get choked up. I looked at Gerry and at that moment I realised that I wanted to represent my country.
How has your role within the team changed over time?
My first Paralympic games was one of heartbreak. We made the gold medal game in Athens but lost to Canada. That ignited a fire inside me and my Rollers teammates to go one better in Beijing – and we won gold. At that time, the team represented extreme competitiveness for me. I wanted to be the best.
My role now is that I want to leave this team in really great shape and hopefully have that fairytale ending so I can sit back and retire and watch the team go on to its next period of success.
What has your career taught you about who you are beyond sport?
Sport has taught me that greatness is possible for everyone. It’s taught me to develop a real love for the grind and hard work. And that it’s really important to be comfortable with being uncomfortable – that’s where real personal growth happens.
Do you feel a responsibility to the next generation of players?
When I was trying to break into the team I was always reaching out to senior players who were part of the Rollers. Every time I did that, every single one of them was generous with their time, sharing their knowledge to make me better. That shaped me in terms of how I approach my training and games. And I want to make sure I can do the same thing for the young players coming through.
What does it mean to have achieved that goal of wearing the green and gold?
There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t realise how lucky I am to represent Australia. I think back to the Sydney Games as a 17-year-old and how my life has unfolded since then and I really do pinch myself. I’ve experienced what it’s like to make it to the top of the mountain. I’ve experienced absolute heartbreak and everything in between. And to be looking down the barrel of the LA Paralympics, which would be my seventh games, is something really special.
Calab Law
As part of a group of rising stars in Australian sprinting, Calab is hitting his stride and setting records on the track. And at just 22, the proud Wakka Wakka man only has growth ahead.
For First Nations sprinter Calab Law, knowing that he can be the person kids look up to is "super important".
How have your heroes helped you to aim high?
I looked up to Cathy Freeman when I was younger. I’m Indigenous and it was great seeing someone who was similar to me. She was the pinnacle of her event. I’ve watched her 400-metre final [at the Sydney Olympics] a million times. As I got older, I felt a shift where I realised, ‘Okay, I’m doing that now. I’m making Australian teams. I’m competing for the country.’ I started building the mindset that I could do what she did. It wasn’t this impossible dream any more.
How do you regain focus in tough times?
In 2023, I fractured my back in three different places. I’d never had a major injury or a big setback like that before. I had to take 10 months off and it took me a while to regain that mindset and get back into competitiveness. But I had a really good support team. My coach, Andrew, and best friend, Torrie, were there for me as I recovered. It’s the most important thing for an athlete to have a good team behind them.
What does it mean to represent your country as a First Nations athlete?
Every time I’m out there, I’m competing for Australia but I’m also competing for the other half of me. I’m competing for my family. My Indigenous side. It means a lot to do that because I was once the kid looking for sports heroes. Knowing I can be the person kids look up to is super important to me.
What do you hope First Nations kids with big dreams can take from your experience?
I’ve been to community, I’ve gone to different schools. These kids are naturally talented, they have the ability to do anything. They just need someone to tell them that it’s possible; that you can do whatever you set your mind to.
Is there advice that changed how you compete?
My coach has always made it very clear that I need to enjoy what I’m doing. Every time I’m warming up and I’m in my head, he just says, “Relax. You’re going to be breathing tomorrow. It’s not the end of the world if anything bad happens here.”
He’s a very relaxed person and that’s rubbed off on me and the way I compete. I don’t think he knows he’s done that for me.
What kind of athlete do you hope to become?
I want to be number one – you shouldn’t be in this sport if that’s not what you want. I think I’m capable of that; I just need to try my best and put everything I can into it.
As Founding Partner and Official Bank of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, CommBank is proud to continue its longstanding support of Australian sport and athletes, from grassroots programs to elite levels.