P.E.I. freestyle wrestler Hannah Taylor didn’t win a medal at the Olympics in Paris. She says that’s OK.
After a few weeks of reflection, Taylor is feeling overwhelmingly grateful for the whole experience.
“I think the negative parts of the experience, of not getting the results I wanted, started to fade,” she told CBC P.E.I. Mainstreet host Matt Rainnie. “Looking back, I am an Olympian now. I did live out my childhood dream of stepping on the biggest stage.”
Taylor lost her first match in the 57-kilogram weight class to three-time world champion Tsugumi Sakurai of Japan, which took her out of contention for the gold medal.
But she won her match in the repechage to earn a chance at the bronze medal. She lost to Helen Maroulis of the U.S. for the medal.
“In the end, three matches is a great thing on the Olympic stage,” Taylor said. “And facing the No. 1, No. 8 and No. 2 wrestlers in the world as an unranked wrestler was a great experience.”
Mainstreet PEI9:08Hannah Taylor
Wrestler Hannah Taylor is back home on PEI, reflecting on her Olympic experience in Paris that took her to a top five finish. She talks about the mix of emotions she’s been feeling since and her future in the sport.
As the 2024 Olympics become a memory for the athletes who competed, Taylor said it can’t be compared to other competitions she’s been in like the Commonwealth Games or Canada Games.
“The Olympics is such a grand spectacle that it’s hard to even put into words how special and unique that opportunity was,” she said.
The outcome disappointed her initially, but now says she’s looking back at her time in Paris through a different lens.
“At the end of the day, I’m not only an Olympian, but I’m top-five in the world. And that’s pretty friggen cool,” she wrote in a recent social media post.
Taylor said she always pictured herself as an Olympian and never doubted she would get there.
She said she prepared in advance for the possibility of feeling down after the competition.
“A lot of Olympic athletes go into kind of a depression after the Olympics because you have this highlight of your entire life. You trained four years, if not more than that, for this one event,” she said.
It took only 24 seconds for Hannah Taylor of Summerside, P.E.I. to fall to American Helen Maroulis in the Olympic women’s -57kg freestyle bronze medal match.
“I’ve trained eight years to make this Olympic team, so to have it come and go so quick can be very devastating to some people.”
Knowing this, Taylor planned a trip to Portugal with her family after the Olympics. She is now back on P.E.I. for a period of time.
“I’m kind of coming back to my normal life and settling into things,” she said. “All the emotions have been felt, but it’s a part of the process and I’m super happy.”
Support from the whole Island
Taylor said Islanders were so supportive of her in the lead up to the Olympics, and she could feel the love from P.E.I. during the competition.
“I had so many people there in the stands cheering and celebrating just my effort and my performance regardless of outcome,” she said.
Island businesses also helped give Taylor the opportunity to compete by providing financial support.
P.E.I.-born wrestler Hannah Taylor is headed to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games in just a few weeks. CBC’s Sheehan Desjardins met up with Taylor and her sister, plus some of her supporters, who gathered in Summerside to celebrate her being on Team Canada and wish her good luck.
Taylor credits her family and her many coaches, from when she started out on P.E.I. to her present day coaches in Ontario, for giving her support no matter how she did in the competition.
“I’m super lucky to have the support network from everyone in Prince Edward Island and my family being like, ‘Who cares what happens? Have fun out there!'” she said. “Just reminding me why I love the sport, why I love competing.”
Looking to the future
Taylor will return to Brock University in the fall, where she’s an assistant coach as part of the Women’s Youth Sport Apprenticeship Program.
Taylor said sharing her skills and experience with younger wrestlers is something she’s excited about.
“Being able to give back what gifts I’ve been receiving in the sport to inspire the next generation and share my knowledge, it’s going to be cool to watch it translate to their success,” she said.
As for what comes next, Taylor, who is 26, said she has a few opportunities but is keeping her cards close to her chest for now.
“Right now all I can say is that I will not end my wrestling career with that match,” she said. “This is not the last we’ll see of me.”
