Jana Mousannef

Being a young girl can be tough – society is trying to stretch you in different directions, making you fit into a stereotype, when in reality, you don’t “fit into the box”. You are your own, unique self. You make your own box! And that’s exactly the tale Jana lives to tell.

Having started her passion for basketball at a young age, the 15-year-old recalls the very beginning of it all, where she tried some different sports until she found her true calling. 

Jana admits that before she was introduced to basketball, her mom put her in ballet. “It just wasn’t my thing – not my sport,” Jana explains about initially feeling misplaced. Trial and error is an important part of finding your true passion, and similarly, Jana tried a few different sports before stumbling upon a video of a basketball game, and finally asking her mom, “why can’t we try this?”. After holding her very first basketball, Jana excitedly exclaims on how she felt an ecstatic moment of pure passion, and she knew right there and then, this was the life for her. 

Little did Jana know at this point that her love for the sport was going to lead her to incredible success, all within her teenage years. Coming from an athletic family, it was no surprise when Jana proved to be great at basketball, and only got better and better, day after day. With daily practice and a growing passion, the greatest career opportunity of Jana’s young life landed right into her lap, when an employee from a leading athletic-wear corporation, Nike, attended one of her games and saw her in action. The Nike employee was so impressed by Jana’s talent that he felt compelled to reach out to Jana’s coach and seek her out. 

One thing led to another, and after a few conversations between Jana and Nike, Jana had now become a Nike model. Jana gracefully and proudly advertised with Nike, ultimately boosting her reputation in the industry and putting her ahead in her athletic career at such a young age. Undoubtedly, becoming a part of the Nike brand has opened a door of endless opportunities for Jana. 

Jana’s success story goes to show that other youngsters should follow their passion, and not let anything get in the way of that. The young basketball player used to play basketball as a hobby with her sister, who was already very talented in the sport, but unfortunately she faced a few incidents that led to serious injuries. The thought of this happening to Jana as well scared her, where she felt her first and only moment of weakness, but she remained confident thanks to her parents’ support who taught her the resilient mindset that helped her carry on no matter what obstacles came in the way. 

Looking into the future, Jana describes her two main goals in her career. First, Jana hopes to influence others to join her in playing basketball and finding their passion like she did, which is a highly fulfilling experience for her. And second, Jana hopes to establish herself as a professional basketball player, hoping to travel out of the country to play and become an important figure in the name of basketball! It is easy to forget this talented, enthusiastic and determined girl is only 15, which means she continues in her lengthy journey, and stays dreaming big – Jana teaches us that the sky is the limit!