Olympic gold medalist, Helen Maroulis, opens up about the battles she fought long before standing atop the podium. From wrestling boys as a kid and facing discrimination in the sport to proving doubters wrong on the world stage, Helen shares the raw and unfiltered truth behind her journey.
She talks about the pushback from family and friends, advice for young wrestlers struggling early, and how she learned to believe she could be the best in the world. Helen also dives into wild moments from her youth, including pinning boys who underestimated her and running one into a wall after getting punched mid-match.
This episode is about resilience, breaking barriers, and what it really takes to rewrite the rules in a male-dominated sport.
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Hosted by Harrison Rogers, The HJR Podcast brings you candid conversations with some of the biggest names in fighting, sports, and business! Featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA like Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Frank Mir, Henry Cejudo, Benson Henderson, Mark Kerr, Tito Ortiz, and more!
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00:00 Intro
00:36 What inspired Helen to start wrestling?
02:30 Competing against males growing up
03:05 Pushback from family and friends
04:38 Advice to young wrestlers
06:25 When she started believing in herself
09:33 Pinning a boy that won the year before
10:46 Did wrestling boys give her an edge
11:51 Discrimination as a female wrestler
14:01 Fights growing up
15:41 Social isolation from wrestling
18:25 Love life as a dominant female wrestler
#HelenMaroulis #Olympics #Wrestling #HJRPodcast