UNDERDOGS: Breanna Wright
What do you do when you have such a clear vision on your future but something alters your course? Breanna Wright may have some insight.
Wright is a talented, award-winning multi-dimensional artist. During her time at ASU she had worked under an assortment of different mediums including but not limited to: Virtual and augmented reality, paint and pastels, print and even web design. Wright is currently working as a motion designer for a firm that animates amazing videos for tech giants such as Google, Samsung, Android and HP. Her career as an artist, however, was not her first intention.
With everything stripped away of who I thought I was, from injury and illness, the door opened for me to accept myself for who I am.
Wright, being the ambitious athlete she is, enlisted in the USMC straight after highschool. Wright’s sight was set on pursuing a military career while being in the best shape of her life. The events that followed however, changed the tone of her future and created a rift between who she was and who she had to be. When asked what being an underdog meant for her, she spoke of being an overcomer and resilience, and after listening to Wright’s story, I could not think of any better words to describe the beacon of light that she is. Here is Wright’s underdog story.
Breanna Wright, taking photos of newborn kittens for AZCare Rescue (Left), Wright’s Assistant (Right)
What does being an Underdog mean to you?
When I think of an underdog I think of an overcomer. Someone who is faced with obstacles that feel insurmountable, but never gives up on their fight to overcome them. When I think of underdogs I think of resilience.
What is one large obstacle you never thought you’d get over?
An obstacle I fought through came in the form of injury and illness. I was an ambitious athlete and I enlisted in the USMC out of highschool. When I went to bootcamp I was in the best shape of my life, but while I was in bootcamp I got injured. I busted my hip, fractured my ankle, and had a snowball of other medical complications (one of which ended up being the end of what I hoped would have been my military career). While in the medical platoon I also caught pneumonia and was eventually sent home broken and sick.
I was broken emotionally at the loss of this dream and physically reeling from illness and injuries that followed me home. I was sick for months following my return home and dealt with the medical complications from my experience for years following it (and still am today). This journey took me through countless doctors offices, surgery, and physical therapy. I struggled with identity from losing my ability to be an athlete and was faced with reinventing who I was and what I wanted to do with my life.
please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My obstacle taught me a lot. With everything stripped away of who I thought I was, from injury and illness, the door opened for me to accept myself for who I am. I slowly learned that my worth was not reliant on what I could physically accomplish and I learned that even when I felt my weakest I was still able to find the strength to keep fighting. With my new found limitations I began exploring interests outside of the athletic sphere which ultimately helped lead me to my new love and career path as a motion designer.
I have been blessed with an amazing husband, family, and friends who have been with me throughout my journey, supporting me and challenging me to grow. I learned that who you are is not what you do, but it is the person inside of you who never stops fighting for a better tomorrow regardless of what your today looks like. Sometimes good things fall apart in our lives so better things can fall together. The life that came together as a result of what felt like an insurmountable obstacle in my life has been ultimately better than anything I could have ever hoped for and far more of an adventure.
Amazing. If I may ask, How has being the underdog changed how you look at yourself?
I feel a lot of gratitude. I still experience pain daily in my hip, but in a lot of ways it has become a humbling reminder of how far things have come in my adult life and reminds me that there is still far yet to go. I see myself as a stronger and more resilient person than ever before. I know I still have a ways to go, but I’m excited to see where the journey will go next.
Alex and Breanna Wright with a special friend inside of an adoption event.
Breanna Wright’s Underdog story shows through not just her history but her actions. Hailing all the way from Lake Havasu City, AZ, Breanna Wright’s active role in the rescue community, allows Gooddogs to be able to do what it does. Along with being a full-time Do-Gooder, Wright is the effective creative director of the no-kill animal rescue, AZCare and works tirelessly through various adoption events and rescue efforts.
Wright finds every opportunity to give back by using her passion for design, photography, animation and marketing to benefit the rescue directly. This is also obvious in her household as she has in her care 5 rescue kittens ranging from 7 y/o to under a year old. [Athena, Hermes, Socrates, Aravipa, and Aella]
When asked about how she gives back, she spoke about how she spends a deal of time as a kitten foster in addition to sharing the stories of animals within the rescue a voice. Wright does not just illuminate other’s stories, however.
She stands as inspiring beacon of light guiding those around her, whose attitude is a shining example of someone who didn’t let life’s darkness get in the way of where they were going.
You can follow Wright’s journey on instagram:
