Kayla Johnson (netball) facts for kids
Kayla Malvina Johnson (born Cullen on February 13, 1992) is a talented netball player from New Zealand. She started playing netball and basketball when she was in high school. She even competed in athletics at a national level! Kayla became a professional netball player and has achieved many great things, including playing for the famous Silver Ferns, New Zealand's national netball team.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kayla Malvina Johnson (née Cullen) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 February 1992 Auckland, New Zealand |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Auckland Girls' Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Shaun Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Married | 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netball career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position(s): GD, WD, C, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Club team(s) | Apps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–16 | Northern Mystics | 64 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–present | Northern Stars | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | New South Wales Swifts | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Correct as of 30 July 2019) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | National team(s) | Caps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–09 | NZ Secondary Schools | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–13 | NZ U21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–present | Fastnet Ferns | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–present | Silver Ferns | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Correct as of 24 May 2016) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents
About Kayla's Life
Kayla Malvina Cullen was born on February 13, 1992, in Auckland, New Zealand. She grew up in a big family. She is married to Shaun Johnson, who is a rugby league player.
Family Life and Netball
Kayla and Shaun have two daughters. Their first daughter was born in 2020. Kayla announced her second pregnancy in January 2023. Because of this, she was not able to play in the 2023 ANZ Premiership season or the Netball World Cup.
Kayla's Early Sporting Days
Kayla went to Auckland Girls' Grammar School. During her school years, she was a very active athlete. She competed in athletics at a national level. She also represented New Zealand in both basketball and netball.
Choosing Her Path
In 2008, when Kayla was just 16, she was chosen for the New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) netball team. She was also selected for the Junior Tall Ferns basketball team. It was hard for her family to pay for her to play two sports for New Zealand. Luckily, people donated money to help her join the NZSS netball team's trip to Australia that year. Kayla mostly played as a shooter early in her career.
Starting Her U21 Netball Journey
Kayla played for Auckland-Waitakere at the national U21 level. She was also picked for the New Zealand U21 team's tour of Australia in 2008. During that tour, she had a serious injury. She tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and needed surgery to fix it.
Bouncing Back from Injury
After her recovery, Kayla was chosen again for the NZSS netball team in March 2009. The NZSS team beat Australia in the final of a school tournament in Auckland. Kayla was named the best attacking player and the overall best player of the tournament!
Joining the World Youth Championships
Kayla's strong comeback led her to be called back to the New Zealand U21 team. This was for the 2009 World Youth Netball Championships in the Cook Islands. She had to get medical clearance after her ACL injury. Kayla joined the team, and they finished second, just behind Australia.
A Big Step: The Northern Mystics
At the end of 2009, when she was 17, Kayla was chosen to play for the Northern Mystics. This was for their 2010 ANZ Championship season. Another player from her NZSS team, Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick, also joined the Mystics. Kayla's amazing year in netball earned her a nomination for a top high school sports award.
Making Her Mark in 2010
In 2010, Kayla made her first appearance in the ANZ Championship with the Mystics. Even though she was usually a shooter, she often played in defense. This was because other players were injured. She played five games for the Mystics in her first season.
Young Player Recognition
Kayla was nominated for the Best Young Player award in the ANZ Championship for 2010. This showed how much talent she had.
Playing for the Fastnet Ferns
Kayla also kept her spot in the New Zealand U21 team. She was chosen for the Fastnet Ferns to represent New Zealand at the 2010 World Netball Series in England. The Fastnet Ferns team was quite young. Even though they had some tough games, they went on to win the 2010 title! They beat England 28–26 in the final.
Becoming an All-Star in 2011
By 2011, Kayla was known more as a defender, even though she had played many positions. The Northern Mystics team was stronger in 2011. They had new experienced players join them. Kayla's speed and athletic ability were very important for the team's defense.
Reaching the Grand Final
Kayla played in every game for the Mystics in the 2011 ANZ Championship. The Mystics made it to their first-ever Grand Final! Kayla, despite being young, started the Grand Final game at Goal Defense. They played against the unbeaten Queensland Firebirds. The Firebirds won the game, but it was a great achievement for the Mystics.
Top Awards for Kayla
After her fantastic 2011 season, Kayla was named the Best Young Player in the competition. She was also chosen for the first-ever ANZ Championship All-Star Team as a Wing Defense. This showed she was one of the best players in her position.
Joining the Silver Ferns Team
Because some of the national team's defenders were injured, Kayla was chosen for the Silver Ferns at the end of 2011. She played in her first game against England and was part of all five matches that year. She continued to play for the Silver Ferns in 2012.
Winning Medals for New Zealand
Kayla was part of the Fast5 Ferns team for the 2012 Fast5 Netball World Series. She won a gold medal there, playing only in the Centre position. She had also won a silver medal with the team in 2011.
In 2015, Kayla was chosen for the Silver Ferns team for the Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia. She played most of the tournament at Wing Defense. She was in the starting seven players for the Grand Final. New Zealand won the silver medal, with Australia taking the gold. Kayla also won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games with the Silver Ferns.
