It’s been almost exactly five years since Charlotte Whittaker left her home in Cust, New Zealand, to join the women’s basketball team at Colorado.

She never imagined her journey at CU would be as bumpy as it’s been, but the 6-foot-3 senior center maintains the smile and positivity she brought with her in January of 2019.

“There are days where it’s hard or you just say, ‘Was this really the right path for me?’” Whittaker said. “But, that’s life and life is gonna be like that. I’m honestly just so happy and grateful that I’ve been here.”

The No. 8-ranked Buffaloes (9-1) are in the midst of an extended break from competition — they haven’t played since Dec. 5 and won’t play again until Dec. 21 against Northern Colorado — and Whittaker, only about two years removed from five hip surgeries, has been a key contributor off the bench.

“I’m really happy with how it’s going and being able to play with my teammates and in this program still,” she said. “Obviously coming back off hip surgery slowly still. … I’m kind of starting to find my feet a little bit more as games go on, which I’m really happy about.”

Whittaker averaged 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds over her first two seasons at CU, but fought through hip pain as a sophomore. Following the 2020-21 season, Whittaker began the process of going through five separate surgeries to fix genetic issues with both hips.

She sat out the entire 2021-22 season and returned last year, but was not her old self. Playing 31 games for the Buffs during their run to the Sweet 16, she averaged 0.8 points and 0.9 rebounds in only 7.6 minutes per game.

“I think I was quite naïve in thinking I would be able to bounce right back,” she said. “I understood the parameters of what I would have to go through in terms of hip rehabilitation and everything, but I don’t think I ever thought about the extent that I would have to do rehab and re-learn how to walk again twice and re-learn how to run again and get used to my new body.”

Whittaker was determined to get back on the court at the start of last year, but said there were physical challenges throughout the season in getting strength, speed and agility back to normal. On top of that, there were mental hurdles with the fear and anxiety of getting injured again.

“That mental component to it, as well (was a challenge),” she said, “and learning to build my confidence back again.

“When you kind of hit that wall, and then you’re like, ‘OK, maybe this is not as easy as I expected.’ It’s that mental barrier of OK, now I have to navigate this a different way because I thought it was just going to be fine.”

Not playing to her standard was a challenge, too.

“I feel like I made a promise to (head coach JR Payne and associate head coach Toriano Towns) and this program and my teammates, as well, of, ‘I will always give my all and I will always train hard and rehab hard to get back for you guys,’” she said.

“When I don’t think I met the expectations I set for myself, that was extremely hard. I wanted to give as much as I could and perform to a level that I was proud and happy with. When I didn’t really do that (last year), it was disappointing and it was kind of disheartening at times.”

The beloved Whittaker was buoyed by her team, however.

“They knew I’d been through a lot,” she said, “and to have their support and help to guide me through that when I was having a rough time, as well, was really, really good.”

This year, Whittaker’s playing at a higher level. Quay Miller and Aaronette Vonleh are starters and dominate the minutes in the paint, but Whittaker’s averaging 3.2 points and 2.4 rebounds while connecting on 56.5% of her shots.

“It’s huge,” Payne said of Whittaker’s play off the bench. “You can’t underestimate the depths and challenges of the type of surgeries that she had. I think it’s a testament to who she is and her perseverance and strength to get through those. … I think she’s playing really, really well, and I think she has started to look like her own self again.”

Whittaker feels it, too. She’s the ultimate team player who is thoroughly enjoying the success of the program and her teammates, but there’s personal satisfaction in her growth, too.

“I definitely think this year has gone a lot better and I love my role for this team and I want to fulfill that as much as possible,” she said. “Being able to do that a lot more this year has been really exciting for me and I think helping me continue to build my confidence over the games; just being able to help contribute to this amazing team.

“Obviously, I’m still probably not where I would want to be. I think there’s still places where I could improve, for sure, but I think for the most part, I’m happy with how this year started.”

She’s also happy to still be a Buff, despite a journey that’s included not only five hip surgeries, but knee surgery as a freshman. “And, my tonsils out,” she added.

Whittaker’s never lost her smile or sense of humor, though.

“I should be pretty much, hopefully, fixed now for at least the next 30 years and then we’ll see what happens then, I guess,” she said with a laugh. “We’ll get to that when it comes.”