The journey towards success can be a challenge, and that has been the case for forward/guard Brea Faulk of the Capital Christian High School girls basketball team. Near the midway point of her senior year, the varsity star is learning more than ever how to overcome life-changing setbacks and the importance of relying on faith to get through life's struggles.

Faulk, 17, is one of the best players on the team this season, leading the Cougars with 13.5 points, 2.7 assists and 0.7 blocks per game in addition to pulling down eight rebounds per game.

With Faulk's help, the Cougars are off to a strong start this season, leading the Golden Empire League with an 11-5 record as of Monday and winning two tournaments, the Claude Brock Tournament and more recently, the Folsom Bulldog Winter Classic. The team had to overcome a major setback after being handed its worse defeat of the season, 49-32, by El Dorado High School during the last round of the El Dorado Challenge on Dec. 18.

But it wasn't the actual loss that was the setback. During the beginning of the third quarter, Faulk suffered a severe seizure and had to be rushed to the emergency room.

Faulk, who was diagnosed with epilepsy in fourth grade, suffered a concussion and a seizure moments after being elbowed in the head. She described it as one of the biggest setbacks she has faced.

"That was probably the biggest because it actually took me out of an entire game," Faulk said. "It was a setback and it's still messing with my head now. I'm overcoming it, though."

Faulk said that she has suffered mid-game seizures that caused brief lapses of consciousness, but this last one was more severe and she is still feeling the affects.

"I'm playing with a slight concussion so I get headaches and stuff," Faulk said. "Already having epilepsy, I have grand mal seizures, so it's hard already, but I play through it."

Overcoming struggles through faith

Faulk, an Assemblies of God Christian, also has a strong faith in God and said her faith has helped her in everything she does and helped her deal with her epilepsy.

"Without God, I wouldn't have this talent to play basketball," Faulk said. "Having this faith in God and him giving me the strength to play basketball – especially with my epilepsy – I wouldn't be able to get through the adversity and the struggles to overcome that without relying on my faith in God. Being reminded to depend on your faith helps a lot."

Faulk also said that her coach, Suzanne Baker, teaches her and the rest of the team the importance of having a relationship with God.

"We want them to have a strong relationship with the Lord and then everything kind of flows out from that because when that's strong, then you can become strong and people are drawn to you because of that," Baker said.

The moment of Faulk's seizure was traumatic for Brea's father, Grant Faulk.

"She wanted to go back in the game in the middle of her seizure and I told her: 'There's no way you're going back in that game, Brea,' " Grant said. "When I dialed 911 and she heard me talking to the emergency dispatcher, she said 'No no, don't call them! I gotta go back in!' and again I told her there's no way you are going back in."

Grant said that he and his family have been through many crises in the past, but his daughter's seizure was very emotional for them.

"She's not used to not being in control," he said. "She's one of those people who is definitely on top of things and for her to not be able to do that, it was hard for her to handle."

Faulk is 'glue' for team, coach says

Baker said that the team had trouble functioning without Faulk.

"It was tough on the players watching her being wheeled out and having to play on," Baker said. "Some players did step up, but overall, they couldn't recover.

"After the game, though, they all wanted to go to the hospital to make sure that Brea was OK. That's the kind of impact she has on the team. I told them: 'Forget the game. We care about Brea and making sure she's OK.' "

Baker said that Faulk is her top player and her leadership skills show on the court.

"She is the glue to the team," Baker said. "Everyone looks to her for the answers, she's the one to calm them down, she's the one to get them up. All of our plays run through Brea, so she is our go-to girl.

"She brings not just scoring, but a sense of calmness when she's on the court. She's valuable on the court just like everyone else, but she is definitely our most valuable player."

Faulk has been playing basketball since the third grade, but originally she didn't want to play. Her older brother Justin Jones, who is now a junior at Azusa Pacific University, influenced her to play basketball.

"At first I didn't want to play basketball," she said, shaking her head. "I was a total girly girl and wanted to be a cheerleader and everything. So one day I saw my brother play basketball and I wanted to try and play with him. I started training with my brother's trainer and his friends and that's how I got started."

Faulk said that this season has been a new experience for her, but she is making the most of it.

"It's been a fun season for me, especially being my senior year," she said. "I really like this team because we're a fun team and we have a lot of energy. That's something we have this year that the past years didn't have. We have more energy, [and] defensively we have a lot more energy too."

One thing that her father is learning about his daughter is her ability to overcome any obstacle thrown her way.

"It's exciting to watch her grow as a person through that and her successes and failures," Grant said. "She's an over-comer, through basketball and life in general. She has never allowed the different reasons of why she can't do something get in the way. She manages to do her best and to try to find ways to accomplish what it is she thinks the situation needs and what it is she'd like to do."

Grant also mentioned that most people think Brea is naturally strong, but he said that she is more of a sensitive and tender person through her Christian faith.

"She is sensitive with her relationship with God, and her strength comes from that relationship and knowing that he loves her and that he has a plan for her. No matter what happens, whether it's with her or people under the circumstances around her, she believes that it's all going to work out. It's going to be OK. That's what gives her the strength to continue on when things are tough."