Going the Distance: US Olympic Medalist Brittany Brown on Endometriosis and Elite Performance

On this episode of the pregnantish podcast, we sit down with U.S. sprinter, Olympic 2024 Bronze Medalist and Athlos Champion, Brittany Brown, for an honest conversation about what it means to go the distance when your body is both your instrument and your battleground.

Brittany shares her unconventional path to the Olympic podium—and how that journey led her to speak openly about the realities women, especially Black women, face in medicine and in sport.

At the heart of this episode is Brittany’s experience living with endometriosis: years of debilitating pelvic pain, medical dismissal, and the long road to diagnosis. She opens up about realizing something wasn’t normal, the dead ends she hit searching for answers, and the alarming medical advice she received before finally being diagnosed in 2023 through the USOPC network. She also reflects on the emotional journey that followed- the relief at being validated, paired with difficult questions about fertility, egg freezing, timing, and access, even as an elite athlete in the middle of a competitive season.

Perhaps most powerful is Brittany’s honesty about the risk of telling the truth publicly. In a world where contracts, sponsorships, and perception matter, she shares the very real fear of disclosure and the unexpected reward: connection, community, and a flood of women and athletes also navigating infertility diagnoses.

Presented by Tru Niagen, the episode also features a special mid-roll conversation with Dr. Yasmeen Nkrumah-Elie, Global Director of External Research at Niagen Bioscience, exploring mitochondrial health, NAD+, inflammation, and why cellular energy matters for both athletic performance and reproductive health. Use code EGGS20 for 20% off at TruNiagen.com

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