MMA fighter Janay Harding joins RNZ’s TAHI podcast

MMA fighter Janay Harding joins RNZ’s TAHI podcast
photo: Royal Bank of New Zealand

Mixed martial arts athlete Janay Harding has signed up to join RNZ’s rangatahi platform oneto co-host the podcast starting next month.

Although, She told new co-host So’omalō Iteni SchwalgerSome people know her better because she isNew Zealand traitor.

Harding’s MMA career began at age 18, so she’s used to being on the other side of a microphone and people asking her questions, she said. But she’s also done a lot of side gigs — commentating, interviewing and “little fun things,” and she wanted to do more, which led her to the TAHI gig.

“I’m a chatterbox…might as well make it my job,” Harding said.

“I had planned on moving into media after my athletic career. In fact, I was accepted into college to pursue a communications degree right out of high school, but I decided to pursue a career in martial arts and ended up being on the other side of the microphone for over a decade.”

Born in Christchurch, Harding moved to Australia when she was 10 and picked up a slight Australian accent before moving overseas for sport. She returned to New Zealand about two years ago.

“I grew up in Australia and my Pākehā mother raised me and even though she tried to immerse me in her culture, it takes a bit of time for a child to adjust to it because you don’t have a connection to it and my dad wasn’t always around for me, so I had to find a connection to being Maori.

“…it was definitely a bit of a rough relationship,” she admitted.

“I’m too light for brown people and too brown for white people. I know a lot of people have that problem. I’m glad to be back and to be able to relate to a lot of people who are like me.”

Harding has already begun a Maori cultural journey, learning the Maori language and digging deeper into his own identity.

“The longer I went on, the more I thought ‘this is why I am like this’.

“TAHI aligns perfectly with my current priorities. This opportunity allows me to connect with our rangatahi and culture and fulfills my desire to return home.”

Launched in April 2023, the TAHI Podcast showcases over 100 young musicians, creatives and newsmakers, with new episodes released every Tuesday and Thursday across podcast, streaming and social media platforms.