Episode 118 Britt Hunter Former Duke/UConn Basketball Player/ Storyteller

Welcome back to the RU Strong Podcast, where we share powerful stories of resilience, identity, and life after the game.

Today’s guest is someone whose journey will stop you in your tracks.

She’s a former #1 player in the country, recruited to two powerhouse programs, Duke University and University of Connecticut, and coached by legendary figures like Geno Auriemma.

But this story isn’t just about accolades. It’s about identity. It’s about pressure.

It’s about what happens when the game you love is taken from you.

Three games into her freshman season at Duke, Britt blew out her knee on national television. What followed were multiple surgeries, a cadaver meniscus transplant, constant pain, mental exhaustion, and a battle with depression that led to a suicide attempt in her freshman year.

And yet that is not where her story ends.

After transferring to UConn, battling back through injury, and redefining what it meant to compete, Britt eventually transitioned beyond the court, earning her MBA from Vanderbilt, stepping into leadership at Microsoft, and now becoming a dynamic keynote speaker, executive coach, and candid storyteller.

As she says best, she’s a “candid storyteller, period, full stop.”

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it’s really like to be the #1 recruit at 17 years old

• The pressure of elite programs and managing identity beyond basketball

• Navigating catastrophic injury and the mental toll that follows

• Leadership, maturity, and owning your voice

• Why entrepreneurship feels easier than surviving five years of knee surgeries

• And how unlocking your strengths starts with radical honesty

Britt’s story embodies what RU Strong is all about, not just surviving adversity, but redefining success on your own terms.

Get ready for a raw, honest, and incredibly powerful conversation.

This is one you don’t want to miss.

Welcome to the show, Britt Hunter.