Born in Limassol in 1919, she was the most significant track and field athlete before the war, not only in Cyprus but also in Greece. She was the first Greek woman to participate in the Olympic Games (1936 and 1948). She was the daughter of Cypriot lawyer and EOKA fighter Nikolaos Lanitis and Sappho Kolakides. Her father, an enthusiastic athletics fan and co-founder of the Gymnastic Club Limassol "Olympia," encouraged Domnitsa and her sister Ismini to engage in sports. At his suggestion in 1928, the Pancyprian Games included two women's events, high jump and long jump. At a young age, Domna participated in both events, winning first place.
In 1931, she moved with her sister to Athens, where they attended the American College for Women. Despite her studies, she continued to engage in sports. She participated in the Panhellenic women's competitions, ranking first in all seven events she entered, simultaneously setting national records. Many of her records held for years until they were broken.
Despite the challenges she faced, young Domna participated for the first time in the colors of Greece in Balkan competitions. There, she excelled in the 100m and 80m hurdles, setting Balkan records. With these performances, Domna became the first Greek woman to join the Olympic team. Under the guidance of her coach Otto Simtsek, she prepared for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In the Berlin Olympics, Domna participated in the 80m hurdles, reaching the semifinals, and the 100m hurdles, where she stayed in the heats. Returning from Berlin, she participated in the relay race in Volos as the fourth man on the team, demonstrating the acceptance she had gained over time from her male competitors.
At the end of the Olympic Games, the young athlete enrolled at Panteion University in the Department of Political Science. The war in 1940 found her offering her services as a volunteer nurse. In 1941, she married Kostas Kavounidis, and they had a son. The first post-war games took place in London in 1948. Domna, with her husband's encouragement, participated again in the Olympic team, as the only woman among thirteen men. She led the national team in the parade and competed in the 80m hurdles, where she was eliminated in the heats.
At the age of 36 in 1950, she retired from competitive sports but remained involved in sports. She served as Secretary and later President of the Technical Committee for Women's Sports at SEGAS. Simultaneously, she engaged in journalism. She went beyond this, becoming a member of the Association for Women's Rights and the Association of Greek Women Scientists. She served as the vice president of the Union of Cypriots in Greece and a member of the Self-Determination Society of Cyprus. Later, she entered the political arena, running for a seat in Athens with the Liberal Party in 1958.
Her career served as an inspiration for intellectuals of her time, such as Palamas, Sikilianos, Kavvadias, and Palaiologos, among others. In an era where sports were male-dominated, a woman emerged, proving with persistence and continuous effort that women could excel in various disciplines. Domnitsa Lanitou-Kavounidou became one of the leading figures in Greek classical athletics.
Domnitsa Lanitou-Kavounidou passed away on June 20, 2011, at the age of 97. Her contributions were honored by the International Olympic Academy, SEGAS, and various organizations in Greece and Cyprus.
