Raven Saunders: 5 facts about the Hulk mask-wearing shot put star headed to their 3rd Olympics

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up next is Raven Saunders

When it comes to shot put athletes, there are few who will turn heads like Raven Saunders.

The two-time Olympian, with hair often varying in an array of vibrant colors, is going to Paris with their signature masks in tow, including a mesmerizing Hulk version.

Saunders is seeking a highly coveted Gold medal. Will it happen in August? That remains to be seen. But, in the meantime, here are five things you should know about them before the competition.

1. Raven Saunders is a huge queer community, mental health and social justice advocate

As an athlete who has dealt with several issues over their lifetime, including the death of a parent and pandemic-related Olympic training hurdles that fostered a deep depression, Raven focuses on using their platform to spread awareness about what they are facing.

They recently shared some of those adversities with D’Shonda Brown of ESSENCE Girls United. Here’s what they said:

“Being Black and seeing all the things politically, then being a woman while knowing that I have to keep pushing myself and work twice as hard and then also being queer and knowing that.”

“I get mistaken as a male all the time, too, so it’s really about just finding the room to stand up for myself in certain spaces and being confident in who I am and not really caring about any outside opinions.”

2. They are nearly always wearing a mask in competitions

It’s not uncommon to see Raven wearing a mask while competing, especially a gritty, teeth-baring Hulk version that is a tribute to an alter ego.

Per Shalise Manza Young of Yahoo! Sports, the mask represents learning how to compartmentalize and control the things they face mentally — much like Bruce Banner’s Hulk did. Over time, they have learned how to let Hulk surface at just the right time to bring peace to their life.

3. In 2023, they were banned for three doping testing whereabouts violations

Last year, Raven accepted an 18-month ban for having three “whereabouts failures” within a 12-month period.

According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, they were part of a pool of elite athletes who were required to update the organization of their location for out-of-competition testing. Their ban technically began in August 2022, the date of the third failure, and was lifted in February 2024.

4. They have improved every Olympic appearance and are seeking their first gold medal

Raven’s Olympic journey began in 2016 at the Rio Olympic Games, where they placed fifth in the shot put. In 2021, in Tokyo, they had their best showing yet, with a magnificent 19.79 meter (65 feet) throw that earned them a silver medal.

Upon arrival in Paris, they will be seeking an Olympic gold medal.

5. Saunders’ Olympic journey starts on August 8

Saunders and the rest of the women’s shot put competition will start their journeys on August 8 at 4:25 a.m. ET. The final will be held on August 9.