'Expedition Impossible' Competitor Brittany Smith Shares Her Journey

Aftering hearing about Brittany Smith, a Capital Christian alumna's, we had a conversation with Smith asking her what her journey on the show was like. Here's what she had to say:

Rosemont Patch: What character traits do you possess that you think helped you through your challenges on “Expedition Impossible?”

Brittany Smith: I think the most important thing is just persevering and having the mind set of never giving up. There were so many times during the expedition that you could be like, “Oh my gosh - I just can't go on anymore. It's too hard,” but quitting is not an option.

RP: Where did you get that character trait from?

BS: Growing up in a good family. My parents have been great examples of always pushing on. They are the ones that raised me that way. With golf as a teenager, there were definite times when I wanted to quit golf and they wouldn't let me. And I thank them everyday for that because as I talk to you today I'm on my way to Arizona to pursue professional level golf.

RP: Why do you think you worked so well with your two teammates on the show?

BS: Well we all met at UC Davis through Athletes in Action, a Christian organization on campus. And I think we all worked well together because we knew we each brought different things to the table. Christina is the analytical one who figures out the logistics of everything. Natalie is more of the work horse, who can carry the extra weight. And I'm the motivator - the one who can get everyone up and moving. We all brought different traits and it just worked out.

RP: Can you tell me a little bit about your journey up to the show? How did you decide this is something you wanted to do?

BS: Christina tried out for Amazing Race before and she got casted, but her partner ended up getting pregnant so she didn't get to do it. So, Christina was the one who called us and asked if we'd be interested in trying out for this other TV show. There was never a point where I thought I couldn't or wouldn't want to do this. From the moment Christina called I always thought, “I'm game - bring it on.” I was just so excited. When we initially signed up we had to wait about four or five months. Then they flew us down to Los Angeles for the finals. Thirty teams were asked to attend and they only chose 13 to compete from the 30. After we left finals in January we still didn't know that we had made it and finally in February they called us and told us we made it. After we found out we got casted the real work started – then we got certified in rock climbing, horses and rafting.

RP: What were the finals like?

BS: The finals were actually pretty intense. There was a swim test and a 300-question personality test. We also had to meet with a psychologist and interview in front of 13 different producers to make sure we weren't crazy people or something. We definitely had a magnifying glass on us. After we found out we got casted we got certified in rock climbing, horses and rafting.

RP: What did you think when you found out you'd be competing in Morocco?

BS: It was nerve wracking at first because of the unrest. But they assured us we'd be safe and everything ended up working out. I never thought in a million years we'd go to Morocco. I always thought it would be New Zealand or Australia. It was one of those places you typically wouldn't go to, so it made it that much more exciting because it's some where we'd never go on our own.

RP: Was it hard for you to leave the students' golf season at Capital Christian for five weeks to film the show?

BS: Ya, but the hardest part about it was I wasn't able to tell anyone where I was going or why I was leaving. I told the main golf coach at Capital Christian because he was my boss. And you're allowed to tell your immediate family. You just can't publicize to the world – so I couldn't tell any of the students. I think the team was like, “Where did Brittany go - and why did she leave in the middle of the season?” It was the biggest relief in the world to be able to come back and tell them. But even then I didn't get to tell them right when I came back – it wasn't until the show was publicized to everyone else that I could. So, even when I got back I wasn't allowed to say anything for another three weeks. I just told them I went to Africa for a little bit. It was the hardest thing to go through something like that and not be able to tell anyone.

RP: Do you think this experience on the show helped you become a stronger person?

BS: I definitely do. I walked away from the show honestly telling myself that I could do anything. It really does inspire you and give you that strength to say, “Anything is possible.”

RP: What did you most appreciate about the experience?

BS: I appreciate going through this experience with two of my closest friends from college. How we pitched ourselves to producers was, “We're friends from college and now that we've been out for two years we don't get to see each other that often - so an experience like this is once in a lifetime.” We became so much closer together because of this show. 

RP: How did your time at Capital Christian prepare you for this challenge? 

BS: My years at Capital Christian were critical years of my life - building the foundation of who I am and who I'm going to be. The years at Capital were well spent and made me the person I am today.