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“If He Died of Starvation, It Would Be an International Incident”: Brittney Griner Finds Motivation From Brave Ex-marine’s Father

Published 11/17/2022, 12:10 PM EST

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WNBA star Brittney Griner remains lost somewhere in Russia, as her whereabouts are still unknown. The eight-time WNBA All-Star is on her way to a Russian penal colony where she will serve a nine-year sentence. The conditions in the penal colonies are expected to be extremely brutal and inhumane. Thus, it would be really hard for Griner to survive in a penal colony as she continues to battle mental struggles. Amid the dire time, Brittney Griner could find motivation from the words of courageous former marine Trevor Rowdy Reed’s father.

Notably, Trevor Reed was stuck in Russia for nearly 1000 days. He got released in April following a prisoner swap deal. The former US Marine was convicted of assaulting two police officers in Moscow. A Russian court sentenced Reed to nine years in prison in 2020. Unfortunately, Brittney Griner finds herself in a similar situation currently.

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Trevor Reed fought back in the penal colony

Recently, Trevor’s father, Joey Reed, opened up about the life-threatening challenges his son faced in the Russian penal colony. Trevor fought back courageously against the inhumane treatment of the prison guards. However, he also received some brutal punishment for the same. Reed continued to fight back and survived his time in a penal colony. 

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Joey Reed revealed his son had to experience starvation in the Mordovian colony because of the horrible food. Mr. Reed said that his son looked like a concentration camp victim when he returned home and lost about 55 pounds of weight. He also reckoned that Trevor went on a hunger strike twice after being prohibited from contacting his family back home.

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Further, Trevor Reed’s father shared his son would only drink water, but his hunger strike could not last beyond five days because of malnutrition. Joey Reed added“He figured if he died of starvation, it would be an international incident.”

Trevor’s story could be a motivation for Brittney Griner

Joey Reed suggested his son showed courage in tough times. Trevor Reed kept fighting against harsh treatment in a penal colony. Thus, the former US marine protested with a hunger strike, knowing that his death could cause big trouble for Russia. 

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WATCH THIS STORY: Stern reality check from US Govt forces Dennis Rodman to go back on his words about WNBA star Brittney Griner

Trevor Reed’s story could serve as a massive boost of motivation for Brittney Griner, who is stuck in Russia for nine months. Just like Reed, do you think Griner will also come home as a part of the prisoner swap deal? 

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Written by:

Rohit Kumawat

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Rohit Kumawat is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing an MBA in Media and Business Management, Rohit holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has been working as a Sports and Entertainment writer for over a year.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar