Season 1

Episode 8

Brittani McCullough Clark: Defying Expectations and Triumph Over Adversity

Timestamps

The journey to becoming a nurse (00:02:08) Brittani discusses her decision to pursue nursing and the influence of her nurse after a car accident.

Resilience story starts early (00:05:21) Brittani shares her early challenges, including being born with a cord wrapped around her neck and being diagnosed with pyloric stenosis and hip dysplasia.

Overcoming injuries in gymnastics (00:08:31) Brittani talks about her experience with a stress fracture in her back during high school and her gratitude for being able to compete at national championships.

The torn achilles (00:10:45) Brittani discusses tearing her right achilles at 16 years old, her frustration, and her realization that it happened for a reason.

The blessing of the injury (00:12:14) Brittani talks about the blessing of being able to attend public high school and interact with people while recovering from her injury.

Avoiding abuse (00:14:04) Brittani reflects on how her injury prevented her from being abused by Larry Nassar and expresses gratitude for the injury.

The road to recovery (00:21:51) Brittani discusses her foot injury, the surgery, and the importance of following doctor’s instructions.

Leadership and resilience (00:22:45) Brittani talks about her role as a leader in gymnastics and the encouragement she received from her coach to speak up and be a leader with her voice.

Overcoming adversity (00:25:54) Brittani shares her experience of tearing her Achilles tendon and her determination to continue with gymnastics despite multiple injuries.

Balancing Gymnastics and Nursing Classes (00:32:10) Brittani discusses the challenges of balancing her gymnastics training and nursing classes, and the specific timing requirements of the nursing program.

Finding Ways to Be Present with the Team (00:33:44) Brittani shares her efforts to still feel connected to her gymnastics team despite not always being able to physically be there, including leaving encouraging notes for her teammates.

Overcoming Challenges and Persuading the School of Nursing (00:37:34) Brittani talks about the initial resistance she faced from the nursing program and how she persisted in convincing them to allow her to pursue nursing while being a student-athlete.

Managing a Busy Schedule (00:42:30) Brittani discusses how she managed her schedule to balance gymnastics and nursing, including missing certain meets and organizing her clinical hours.

The Importance of Support (00:45:23) Brittani emphasizes the role of support from her family, coaches, and medical team in helping her achieve her goals and overcome challenges.

Disclaimer

This podcast shall not be published, reproduced, retransmitted, in any form whatsoever, in whole or in part without the express written permission of BrillianceMode, LLC.

Resilience to Brilliance is a BrillianceMode Production.

Email us at admin@KimAnthony.com

In this podcast episode, 2-Time National Champion, Brittani McCullough Clark, shares her journey of becoming the first student-athlete at UCLA to study nursing in one of the most competitive programs in the U.S., while competing. She reveals to host, Kim Hamilton Anthony, how her resilience story actually started at birth and her belief that a torn achilles kept her from the abuse that no gymnasts should have had to endure. She also discusses how she plans to gain yet another victory over adversity as she faces a recent diagnosis that has the potential of significantly impacting her life.

Poem referred to in podcast:

It Couldn’t Be Done by Edgar Albert Guest

About Our Guest

Trained at SCEGA Gymnastics in Temecula California (2002-2006)

2006 U.S. National Team Member
2005 Level 10 Vault, Bars, Floor Champion
2002 Level 9 Western National Vault, Bars, Floor and All-Around Champion

2008

Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

2009

NCAA First-team All-American on Floor

2010

NCAA Team National Champion

NCAA Floor National Champion

2011

Graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (the only student-athlete to study Nursing while competing)
Honda Award Nominee
Tom Hansen Pac 10 Medal Awardee

What Brittani Enjoyed Most About Being a Bruin

As a bruin I enjoyed being surrounded by a number of different athletes, also competing at one of the highest level of competition, while also being surrounded by some of the most intelligent people who were studying and learning to go into their future professions. I also loved being a part of a team, practicing alongside other girls who had a common goal and encouraged and pushed one another in the gym.

Post UCLA Experience

After graduating from UCLA, I remained a bruin and began working in the Neonatal Intensive Unit (NICU) as a Registered Nurse, where many of the skills I learned and used as a student-athlete transferred to my profession, such as attention to detail, time management, being a part of a team, being able to lead but also follow. In the first few years of working in the NICU, I also coached club gymnastics part time. This was a highlight for me, because I was able to poor all of my gymnastics knowledge, technical, but also the emotional and mental parts of the sport, into young athletes. I also started a non-profit called Get Movin’, that aims to educate families in low income areas about healthy living in all areas of life. After 3 years of working in the NICU and coaching, I married my husband, Christopher Clark, Jr., and also went back to school, again as a bruin. I studied to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner while I worked part time in the NICU. Upon graduation, I began working at an outpatient clinic, Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NEVHC), in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. Today I continue to provide care for pediatric patients and their families, while caring for my own family that now consists of our two daughters, Nia (5) and Hazel (2).

Connect with Brittani McCullough Clark:

Facebook – Brittani McCullough Clark

Instagram – @brittanijolai

Get Movin’ (Non-Profit)
Website- https://get-movn.org / Instagram- @getmovnorg ]