No matter how unbeatable one seems, they can’t win against time. Athletes are no different. Despite displaying the peak of human athleticism and power, eventually everyone has to hang their boots. But it still hurts to see one of your favorites retire. This emotion was thoroughly felt by the wrestling community when one of their best announced her retirement from competitive wrestling. The person we are talking about is none other than 2-time WCWA champion Sarah Hildebrandt.

Sarah was always interested in wrestling. This interest soon grew into a hunger for success, which saw her attend King University. In her four years at Uni, she established a reign of dominance, winning multiple national championships. In addition to this, she also reached the finals of the WCWA event four times. But the most impressive part about her career is that she competed as part of the men’s team back in high school during her time at Penn High School.

The wrestling sensation had already built her name by then by reaching the finals of the junior nationals in 2010 before winning it the next year. Her accolades, however, reach far beyond collegiate competitions. She landed her hands on the elusive gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, winning in the 50 kg category. With this, she added to her Olympic tally, which already has her bronze from 2021 Tokyo. 

So you can imagine when someone like her announces her retirement—what a shock it is to the masses. And rightly so, after all, she is only 32 years old. Much to the utter disbelief of the fans, Hildebrandt decided to bid adieu to the sport while still being at the top. While a lot of fans expected her to carry forward her impressive form this season too, it is now clear that Hildebrandt had other ideas.

In her official statement, the Olympic champion mentioned that the sport of wrestling has given her more than she could have imagined. “I have had a really long career and I’ve gotten the experience of what wrestling has taught me. It has made me so passionate about what this sport can do for people.” While the fans are distraught, Sarah has made peace with her decision.

She further mentions, “If I can bring a passion and energy in support of their journey, kind of a door handle to open up their own adventure, that is exciting to me. Wrestling has given me so much. The sport has taught me everything about myself and helped me grow as a woman.” 

The Olympian also stated that she will now be focusing completely on coaching young and upcoming wrestling talents from across the country. And to help Sarah, her future journey ahead is one of the finest figures in women’s wrestling. Yes, it is none other than the legendary Terry Steiner.

Terry Steiner wowed by Sarah Hildebrandt

Soon after her retirement, USA Wrestling announced Hildebrandt was named as the Assistant National Women’s Coach. She will be joining the likes of Terry Steiner and Jessica Medina Bunker. While Steiner is the head coach, Bunker serves as the developmental coach. This also proves to be an advantage for Sarah, as she will be based out of Colarado Springs. This in turn is also the headquarters for USA wrestling and US Olympic and Paralympic centers.

Apart from imparting her knowledge to the US Senior National team, Hildebrandt will also be working closely with the resident athletes of the US Olympic and Paralympic Center. Meanwhile, with such a legendary career coming to an end, USA women’s national team coach Terry Steiner could not help but marvel. 

“It is not just what she has done; it is how she has done it,” said Terry Steiner while reflecting on Sarah Hildebrandt’s career. After all, she did not have everything served on a silver platter. Hildebrandt could not make it to the national team and struggled significantly. Afterward, she also had difficulty getting into the World Team.

Luckily for her, all these struggles helped her shape herself into the champion that she is today. Marveling at Hildebrandt’s emphatic career, Steiner said, “Because of her experiences, there is not a person on our national team and around our program that doesn’t respect her. The respect is not just about her accomplishments in Paris. It is how she reinvented herself to become a great champion and a great human being.” 

Lastly, Steiner concluded her statement by putting faith in Sarah Hildebrandt. Steiner believes she will certainly go on to become an equally successful coach in the long run. Thus, putting an end to one masterful run, Sarah Hildebrandt will now be looking towards some more feathers to her already bejeweled crown. Only this time as a mentor.