Letava 'Whippy' Kenny: Staying strong through hoop dreams, motherhood, trauma and grief

WELLINGTON (New Zealand) - It's been a truly extraordinary roller-coaster ride for baller and mother Letava Kenny, better known as 'Whippy' to her army of admirers in her homeland of Fiji.

In a powerful story that unveils just how challenging it can be for athlete-moms to realize their basketball goals, Kenny lifts the lid on her own unique experience. 

Perhaps more than anything, it's a journey that also reminds us all that the basketball player we see on the court is just the tiniest percentage of that whole person.

"MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE WAS NAVIGATING THE EXPECTATIONS I HAD OF MYSELF.... WHILE STILL GIVING MYSELF GRACE AS A WOMAN WHO WENT THROUGH A TRAUMATIC BIRTHING EXPERIENCE."- Letava Kenny

 An athlete is more than the national team jersey, the club vest, the highlights clip on Instagram we all enjoy seeing or however else we perceive or consume public basketball personas.

Way back in 2008, Fiji were making a gigantic splash by playing at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Madrid, Spain. It was something that thrust both Kenny and her compatriots into the limelight as they blazed a trail like never before for the Pacific nation. 

Ever since that seismic moment at 17 years-old when competing unexpectedly on the global stage, Kenny has carried a significant chunk of her country's basketball dreams on her shoulders.

For much of that time since, those unrelenting basketball demands and dreams have ran alongside the challenges of motherhood. Something that might have caused others to slow down, or stop altogether. But not Kenny.

She has somehow balanced her passion and desire to play the sport she loves alongside the rigors of a demanding family life - managing to proudly represent her country and most recently, going on to make her professional club debut at 32-years-old.

Back in the day when she was a teenage mom, Kenny had to make the agonizing decision of whether to go to the other side of the world to pursue her goal of becoming a professional player via the NCAA, - or to stay at home. It was the first time that the demands of being an athlete-mom really hit Kenny hard.

She explained, "I had my first child at 19, before I left to pursue my college career in the States, so being a mum isn't new to me.

"He is now 13-years old and has watched me play ball for most of his life. My husband was a solo-parent to him while I was in the States for six years, coming back to New Zealand to visit them each year during my summer breaks.

"I was beyond lucky to have his father sacrifice so much for me to get my degrees and play Div I ball. And if anything, having a child at that age only gave me more motivation to succeed in everything I did, because it was his future I was now working for."

Fast forward to more than a decade later and another hugely significant chapter in Kenny's life was written. One that provided a significant challenge by testing that undeniably complex relationship between family life and staying on track as an athlete. 

"My youngest son suffered a brain injury at birth that left him with lasting effects. He is now 19-months old, and requires special round-the-clock care," she revealed.

"When we decided to have another child, I left the basketball scene at a time in my career when I was arguably in the best physical shape I had ever been in, and also brimming with self-confidence.

"I felt I was at the top of my game, right in that sweet spot between being young and athletic, and an experienced vet, if that makes sense. So when I returned, I had expectations of myself to get back to that 'sweet spot.'

"My biggest challenge was navigating the expectations I had of myself (with regards to my abilities and performance) while still giving myself grace, as a woman who went through a traumatic birthing experience and major surgery (i.e. emergency c-section and spending the first month in NICU with my baby after almost losing him).

"It was also a completely new experience returning because I had to be more receptive to my body and actually listen to what it was telling me, instead of pushing through every single niggle, like my former self would've done."

Undeterred from what she had to go through, Kenny subsequently suited up for Fiji at the FIBA Women's Melanesian Cup 2022.

"Having the Melanesian Cup as my first competition following childbirth brought added pressure because I've always played a major role on our national teams in the past," said Kenny.

"I was fortunate that Fiji hosted, so I had family and friends around to support me, and I was able to bring my then fiancé and our two sons with me, which made the experience even more special.

"To top off our gold medal victory, my husband and I got married in Fiji a week after the tournament, and having my father there to walk me down the aisle and enjoy our entire family's presence (my siblings and I live in different parts of the world) meant the world to us all.

"Then he passed away two months later."

She continued: "He  was the patriarch and pioneer of basketball in my family. That Melanesian Cup was the very first time I represented Fiji on home-soil and the last time my father watched my sister and I play. I took it as a sign.

"Because of his contributions to basketball in Fiji and his involvement throughout my entire career, I questioned my ability to continue playing basketball without his guidance. It was especially overwhelming to imagine representing Fiji without his support, so after his passing I had no intention of participating at the upcoming Pacific Games.

"It wasn't until I spoke with my family and close friends that I decided he would've wanted me to keep playing. So my sister and I have dedicated this Pacific Games to my dad."

Her late father Michael would certainly have been gushing with pride had he been able to watch his daughter finally realize her career goal of signing for a pro women's team. While it may have taken longer for Kenny than she might have liked, it's quite an accomplishment when you consider the barriers, hurdles and other challenges she has faced.

"Yes, fast forward to July 2023 and I suited up for my first ever professional game with the Tokomanawa Queens in the Aotearoa Tauihi League," she stated.

"It was a grueling 2-month season and a step up in the level of competition and the commitment it required from me.

"I struggled being a full-time-working, mother-of-two, wife, player and co-captain. But I had a lot to prove to myself so refused to let my 'home-life' and recent childbirth experience be seen as a possible excuse for not giving 100 percent to my team.

"I REALLY JUST HOPE THAT MY CAREER AND CONTINUED INVOLVEMENT IN THE SPORT WILL EMPOWER GIRLS AND WOMEN." - Letava Kenny

"I was humbled in this regard early in the season when my baby fell ill while we were on the road and I couldn't leave his side at the hospital. I would miss a game on that road-trip and the first of a few practices throughout the season in order to show up for my family.

"I consider myself extremely blessed to have signed with an organization that wholeheartedly preached family first, and gave me the space and support to be a mother and a wife without any backlash or judgement.

"Still, I had many mental and emotional battles finding my 'old self' (as a player) and my confidence on-court fluctuated throughout the season as a result. Without the support of my family and team, I doubt I would've made it through the season.

"Despite all this, it was a thrill to play professionally in New Zealand and have my sons there to witness it."

Looking back on her journey and with some steps still to take, Kenny concluded by revealing why she wanted to tell her story to  wider audience.

She said: "I really just hope that my career and continued involvement in the sport will empower girls and women specifically to continue to work towards their dreams after having kids and starting families - or whatever the case may be.

"In my case, I've just played my first season as a pro-baller at 32-years old after having my second child and 19-years into my basketball career."

Kenny will play for Fiji in Group A at the Pacific Games, going up against Guam, Samoa and the Solomon Islands. 

FIBA