Felisha Johnson facts for kids

Felisha Nayomie Johnson was born on July 24, 1989. She is an American track and field athlete. Felisha is best known for her amazing skills in the shot put. In 2015, she became the national indoor champion in the weight throw. She also won two major college championships in the weight throw while competing for the Indiana State Sycamores.

Felisha's Early Life and College Years

Felisha was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her parents are Ronald and Loesker Johnson. She went to Lawrence North High School. There, she joined the school's track and field team. Felisha broke school records in both the shot put and the discus throw. She also became a high school state champion.

After high school, Felisha earned a scholarship to study sports management at Indiana State University. She didn't compete in her first year of college. This is called "redshirting." It means she could practice with the team but save a year of her college sports eligibility. She started competing for the Indiana State Sycamores in 2010.

College Success and Championships

In her first year competing for the Sycamores, Felisha did well in the Missouri Valley Conference. In 2011, she had a big breakthrough. She won the weight throw at the 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. This was a huge win, and she set a new personal best score of 22.69 m (74 ft 5.18208662 in). She also competed in the shot put and hammer throw at the NCAA Outdoor Championships that year.

The year 2012 was a bit tougher for her. She placed third in both shot put and weight throw at the MVC Indoor Championships. She didn't win the NCAA title again, finishing fourth in the weight throw. Outdoors, she placed third in shot put and discus throw at the MVC Championships. She also competed at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in shot put.

Winning More College Titles

Felisha's final year at Indiana State was her best. She won the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Championships for the second time. She set a new personal best of 23.52 m (77 ft 1.85925197 in). This amazing throw put her among the top ten athletes of all time in that event! Her coach, Erin Gilreath, had won the same title ten years earlier.

Felisha also placed eighth in shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships. She won her first MVC Indoor title in the weight throw. She also set a new school record in the shot put with a throw of 17.80 m (58 ft 4.66240158 in). Outdoors, she improved her school record in shot put to 18.27 m (59 ft 11.16633859 in). She won both the shot put and discus events at the MVC Outdoors.

In her last college national competition, she placed third in shot put at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Felisha then made her international debut for the United States. She competed at the 2013 Summer Universiade and placed seventh in the shot put.

Becoming a Professional Athlete

After college, Felisha became a professional athlete. She focused on the shot put. In 2013, she placed fifth at the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

In 2014, Felisha signed a contract with Nike, Inc.. This helped her become one of the world's top shot putters. She placed third at the 2014 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Then, she improved to second place at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She set a new personal record of 19.18 m (62 ft 10.99311024 in) there. That year, she was the second-best American shot putter.

National Champion and Olympic Dream

Felisha won her first national title at the 2015 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She won the weight throw with a personal record of 23.45 m (76 ft 11.10334646 in). She also competed in the international Diamond League circuit for the first time.

In 2016, Felisha returned to her top form. She set another personal record in the weight throw with 23.53 m (77 ft 2.25295276 in). This was at the 2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. In the outdoor season, she threw a shot put best of 19.26 m (63 ft 2.14271654 in). Then, she placed third at the 2016 United States Olympic Trials. This amazing performance earned her a spot on the American Olympic team for the first time!

Felisha's Best Scores

Here are Felisha Johnson's best scores in her events:

• Shot put – 19.26 m (63 ft 2.14271654 in) (2016)
  • Indoor – 18.36 m (60 ft 2.70964567 in) (2016)
• Discus throw – 55.03 m (180 ft 6.41043307 in) (2012)
• Hammer throw – 61.14 m (200 ft 6.96161418 in) (2011)
• Weight throw – 23.53 m (77 ft 2.25295276 in) (2016)

International Competitions

National Titles

• USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
  • Weight throw: 2015
• NCAA Women's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships
  • Weight throw: 2011, 2013