Brittany Brown had an incredible stint at the French capital and surprised the track and field community with a third-place finish at Stade de France. Her compatriot Gabby Thomas scorched to the finish in 21.83 seconds. Trailing behind her were Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred and the 29-year-old, who clocked 22.08 and 22.20 seconds on the clock. But after claiming her Olympic bronze, the sprinter dedicated it to something important to her.

However, her journey to the top hasn’t been the easiest. The sprinter had to deal with an incredibly difficult condition throughout. What does she suffer from? The 29-year-old has endometriosis, a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

Discover how Brittany Brown achieved Olympic glory while suffering from a chronic disease

Brittany Brown has contested throughout this season with incredible physical pain. The sprinter tearfully stated, “To all the women who have health problems, to all the women suffering from endometriosis, SPOK (polycystic ovary syndrome), to all the athletes who have contacted me saying: ‘Nobody looks at me, the coaches don’t pay attention to me’, I’m with you, because I’m one of you.” While the cause is still unknown, there is no cure for now.

When was she diagnosed? The sprinter first experienced terrible cramping almost 10 years ago. During her second year in college, the Olympian felt unbelievable pain during an intense workout. It left her crying in the bathroom. However, when she decided to meet doctors, they pointed her towards birth control or other solutions. Unsatisfied, she kept trying. She was eventually diagnosed last year in 2023. Brown talks about the experience, “For a long time, my body was talking to me, but I wasn’t listening.” But dealing with such an experience was never easy, and the sprinter wanted to be prepared.

So she started to educate herself on the situation. And the more she did that, the more she realized how essential it is to be your own advocate. Brittany Brown added, “I’m so grateful to have been able to be an example, to be able to be here, to live this moment and be useful. Because it’s not about me. It’s about the people who look like me, who see themselves in my story.” The sprinter even reached out to women who understood her situation by joining an endo group.

The reason she continues to talk about her issues is because the Olympian wants women to listen to their bodies. “I hope, by sharing my story, I can give other women that confidence. For a long time, my body was talking to me, and I kept thinking, ‘I’m fine, I’m strong, I can do this, I don’t want to be too emotional,’ which is something women here all the time.” She has even experienced terrible pain during track meets. So, what has her journey been like?

Brittany Brown has an unusual track and field journey

The sprinter had an incredibly slow climb in the circuit. Apart from the endometriosis diagnosis, she also had to deal with multiple injuries along the way. It first started with a sports hernia, which later brought on osteitis pubis. She even had a labrum tear in her hip that required her to get Platelet-Rich Plasma injections leading up to the Olympic Trials. In fact, she didn’t even have a sponsorship when she started pursuing Sprint as a career.

Even though she snagged a silver medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championship, she lay low. However, things took a turn when she shocked fans with a 200-meter win at the 2024 Oslo Diamond League. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, Brittany Brown turned heads by setting a personal best of 21.90 seconds, successfully punching her ticket to Paris. After her incredible performance, she took to X. The sprinter reiterated that she never won a track title, landed a shoe deal out of college, or attended a top-track college.

“I just worked my a** off to get here. I worked hard to get here despite a lot of things I dealt with.” The sprinter even made University of Iowa history after her Olympic bronze medal performance. She became the first woman from the university to clinch an individual medal in track and field at the Summer Games. So what’s next on her plate?

Brittany Brown will now be contesting at Athlos NYC on September 29. She will contest Gabby Thomas in the 200-meter race. While the two have locked heads before, it will be interesting to watch. The event takes place shortly, so we don’t know who will come out victorious. But what are your thoughts? Share below!