Sitting atop a silver Corvette convertible, flying a miniature Team USA flag and donning the red and white colors of her alma mater, Claremont High School (CHS), Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown waved to a cheering crowd of families and aspiring Olympians at Claremont City Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
As the mini motorcade of Claremont police took her up Foothill Boulevard and escorted her to CHS, Brown was welcomed by the howl of the Wolfpack into the open arms of the city where it all began.
Brown, the 29-year-old sprinter who finished third in the 200-meter dash at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, graduated from CHS in 2013. Growing up throughout the Inland Empire (IE), Brown’s roots have helped her persevere through the rocky roads that lie beyond Claremont’s Indian Hill Boulevard.
Despite never having lived in Claremont, she has provided inspiration for many in the community. CHS’s cheerleading team, who won the 2024 national championship, expressed their admiration for Brown’s visit in a post on Instagram.
“We were so excited and honored to be celebrating your amazing achievement tonight!,” the post read. “We thank you for sharing your wisdom and heart to the athletes and making us proud to be [a part] of the pack.”
The Claremont Unified School District (CUSD) also highlighted Brown’s “remarkable journey” in a statement advertising the event.
“Let’s come together as a community to celebrate Brittany Brown’s incredible achievements and the inspiration she brings to our city!” CUSD wrote.
Brown embodies the IE through and through. Born in Fontana and having lived in a number of cities throughout the area, she takes great pride in the communities she’s been a part of.
“I get the question a lot like, ‘Where are you from?’” Brown said. “I claim everywhere … I went to school in Claremont, but I was heavily involved in Pomona, whether it was church or after-school programs like the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club … I lived in Chino, where I smelled the cows all the time … Everywhere I lived, I feel like I took a little piece of that city with me.”
For Brown, these communities were often led by their elders, including at Macedonia Baptist Church in Pomona. She specifically cited the role of “Mothers,” a title used in Black Baptist churches as a sign of respect and reverence for older women, referencing a woman named Mother Davis who played a significant role in her childhood.
“She always told me, ‘Brittany, don’t take no wooden nickel,’” Brown said. “As I got older, I really was able to understand it … It means for me, be true to yourself and also don’t just take anything that everyone gives you … Be honest with yourself. Be real with yourself.”
According to Brown, this ethos was critical for navigating her nontraditional path to Olympic stardom. She often comments on how she never won a state championship at CHS, attended the University of Iowa — which is not known for its track program — and was not signed to an endorsement deal out of college. As a result, after graduating, she had to work full-time to support herself while training to keep her professional track dream alive.
Since landing on the podium in Paris, Brown has been outspoken about her longtime experience with endometriosis. She elaborated on her difficulties navigating medical treatment as a woman of color, specifically for a condition affecting her reproductive system.
“I think a lot of times, women are dismissed and they belittle [our] emotions,” Brown said. “It’s hard when you have doctors telling you that you’re crazy.”
Having to maintain her running career while also dealing with endometriosis, Brown explained that she often questioned why her path was so much more strenuous than that of her peers. Nevertheless, she discovered that by rejecting these comparisons and being honest and real with herself, she could begin to forge a path forward.
“I think some people think that there’s one way to success, and that is not true at all,” Brown said. “You can still create something good out of some really bad situations. I think tough times … truly bring out a fighter in you that you never thought you’d have.”
Brown described how her new perspective on endometriosis has allowed her to grow as an athlete on a deeper level.
“I always try to say, anytime someone asks me about endo, that your body is talking to you, please take time to listen,” Brown said. “[As athletes] you’re taught to push through … What [that] has brought me [is] a lot of success is [understanding] my body.”
Brown has continued to push her way up the international ladder, taking silver in the 200-meter at the 2019 World Championships and finishing seventh in the 100-meter in 2023. After qualifying for the Olympic games this year, it was only a matter of time before she would claim some hardware.
Although she lost out on gold to fellow American Gabby Thomas in the Olympic games, she got revenge in a 200-meter rematch in New York City earlier this week. The race was part of Athlos NYC, which claims it gave out “the biggest prize offering in the history of women’s track-only events.”
Brown walked away with $85,000 for two races, which she said on X was more than some pro track & field athletes’ base sponsorship contracts.
Brown described the experience as “incredible,” including the fan support and the goodie bags given out to the track stars, and she recognized the importance of creating community through competition with her fellow athletes. She spoke on the importance of building upon small steps towards gender equality in sports, uplifting all of the contributions women are making toward athletics.
“I feel like sometimes athletes [think they] have to make this big impact. I think small impacts are as important, and [lots of] little ripples in the water make really big ripples,” Brown said. “It is an awesome feeling to be a female athlete at this time.”
Facebook Comments