Inspired by Grandmother

“My journey with the Royal Navy began because I was inspired by my Grandmother, who wanted to join the Army when she was 27. During her medical test she discovered she was pregnant with my father – she was obviously thrilled about that – but ultimately a bit disappointed because it meant she couldn’t pursue her dream career. In my third year of studying for my nursing degree, the Royal Navy came to advertise and I saw this as a sign to take the opportunity and join. I love to challenge myself, travel, meet new people and learn new skills… and in retrospect I think I wanted to fulfil my Grandmother’s dream too. I like to describe being part of the Royal Naval Reserve as my “super-power”. It’s given me so many skills that I would never have achieved in my civilian career alone. The RNR has pushed me to what I thought was my limit, developed my character and allowed me to achieve even more. I’m very lucky the NHS has its own Armed Forces Reservist policy to support me when I need to train away from home as well. I’ve met incredible people during my training – I still keep in contact with a lot of them and would say they’re life-long friends. As a young black woman competing as a swimmer for many years, travelling the world, qualifying as a nurse, joining the RNR, and completing my second degree as a paramedic, people have often refer to me as an inspiration. I will never see the colour of my skin as a barrier and whilst it has been a challenging journey, I have received the most amazing support from everyone. I look forward to what the future holds as I progress in all of my careers. Thanks to the support that the RNR, my family and my friends have given me, I’m motivated to keep inspiring and achieving my goals”.

Leading Naval Nurse Nicole Brown

Source: Royal Navy