Overcoming Hurdles: Brenna Detra’s Athletic Evolution

Take a listen as we talk with Brenna Detra’s story from multi-sport athlete to Professional Runner. Brenna shares her incredible journey from excelling in 300 hurdles, volleyball, and softball in high school to competing in 400 hurdles at the University of Wisconsin. Go Badgers! Now a pro in the 800m, Brenna credits her multi-sport background for helping her avoid burnout and strengthen her body.

Brenna opens up about the challenges she faced transitioning from high school to college, especially the pressure of being a scholarship athlete. She discusses the financial importance of her scholarship in easing the burden on her single mom. Brenna also reflects on a difficult conversation with three male coaches after a rocky freshman year, highlighting the need for more female representation in coaching staff and a shift towards seeing athletes as people, not commodities.

Proudly graduating from Wisconsin, Brenna talks about the mental shift that helped her succeed and expresses gratitude for the resources available at the university. She also delves into the challenges of transitioning to professional running while working full-time at Oracle and self-funding her career until she secured sponsorship with Oiselle, A BY WOMEN FOR WOMEN BRAND!

Tune in to Episode 1 of this two-part series to hear Brenna’s inspiring story of perseverance, growth, and triumph.