RIO DE JANEIRO — Helen Maroulis wandered through London streets four years ago, fighting depression in the place she expected to live her dream. [2] In retrospect, she said, she was badly hurt and not thinking straight. https://www.si.com/olympics/video/2020/07/31/helen-maroulis-mental-health "The thing for me was I don't want to retire, but I also don't want to risk my health," Maroulis said. [7] Maroulis attributes a large portion of her success to the coaching of Valentin Kalika.

I feel I still have years left of wrestling in me.". | This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2020, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. "That was a real blessing in disguise,"Maroulis said. That's me practicing my faith and hope that the best is yet to come. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. In January 2018, her life changed dramatically. This was the first Olympic gold medal for the United States in a women's wrestling event. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. The native of Rockville, Md., rode the high of that victory for more than a year. Not long after that, she felt much better and had a change of heart. Her grandparents emigrated to the United States from the Greek island Kalamos in the 1960s. … That's far from a certainty after a tumultuous two years in which she has had at least two concussions, a severe shoulder injury and treatment for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. This content is currently not available in your region. The Associated Press COMMENTS - It looks like you're using Internet Explorer, which isn't compatible with the Democrat-Gazette commenting system. Helen Louise Maroulis (born September 19, 1991) is an American freestyle wrestler who competes in the women's 55-kg and 53-kg categories. "I've always been tough my whole life and I've always had to prove myself with the guys," Maroulis said. 182.2k Followers, 1,357 Following, 942 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Helen Maroulis (@helen_maroulis) January 3, 2020 at 2:00 a.m. Helen Louise Maroulis, the first American woman to win a wrestling gold medal in 2016, said she will return for the Tokyo Games this summer after battling injuries for two years. See our, Read a limited number of articles each month, You consent to the use of cookies and tracking by us and third parties to provide you with personalized ads, Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com on any device, Unlimited access to all Washington Post apps, No on-site advertising or third-party ad tracking. Maroulis was at the top of the sport between 2015-17, winning 78 of 79 matches and two world championships. She was competing in a professional wrestling league in India when she and her opponent knocked heads.

Maybe I just hid it so well. [10][11], Maroulis was defeated in the first round by fall by Azerbaijan’s Alyona Kolesnik, a shocking upset for the defending world and Olympic champion. Personal Life. Maroulis, now wrestling at 57 kg, said her health scares ultimately have made her stronger mentally. "I really could not tell left from right, pretty much," Maroulis said. You can join the discussion by using another browser, like, It looks like you're using Microsoft Edge.

Helen Louise Maroulis (born September 19, 1991) is an American freestyle wrestler who competes in the women's 55-kg and 53-kg categories. Helen Maroulis was one of the most celebrated Olympians in 2016 when she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in wrestling. She was expected to be one of the faces of the sport in Tokyo this year.

To her regret, she says, she allowed an American doctor to check her for concussion symptoms over Facetime. She was medically cleared and continued to compete. In addition to a concussion, she injured her neck and had vertigo. Maroulis received concussion treatment when she returned to the United States and was given the go-ahead to resume training. We will continue to update information on Helen Maroulis’s parents. They encouraged her. Like many famous people and celebrities, Helen Maroulis keeps her personal life private. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. Maroulis decided to give up wrestling, but felt better and talked to her mom about coming back as well as a mentor. Copyright © 2020, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. [9], On January 16, 2018, Pooja Dhanda defeated Maroulis in the Pro Wrestling League. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. "In that situation, man, I just wish there was someone there who would have taken the reins or maybe seen that better. "I don't want to be done yet. Helen Louise Maroulis is a Greek-American freestyle wrestler who competes in the women’s 55-kg and 53-kg categories. She was a gold medalist at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada and a gold medalist at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. So if that didn't alarm anyone that we shouldn't wrestle under these circumstances, what does that say?".

"Even if it doesn't look like you're getting better right now, that doesn't mean come August 2020 you're not going to be in the best shape and feeling mentally and emotionally the best you ever felt in our life. As Maroulis stated in post-match interview “I’m so used to telling someone, hey, don’t touch my head.” The injury was significant enough to cause Maroulis to delay her world team qualifier match, and significantly limited her live sparring prior to the event. [1], Maroulis was born in Rockville, Maryland,[citation needed] the daughter of Paula and Yiannis "John" Maroulis.

All rights reserved. Helen Louise Maroulis (born September 19, 1991) is an American freestyle wrestler who competes in the women's 55-kg and 53-kg categories.

She not only lost, she injured a shoulder and required surgery that left her inactive for eight months. She loves the sport as much as ever, maybe even more. [2] Her father is Greek. For me, that was my confirmation.". … The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. She also happened to watch an inspiring video about the Olympics.

She still might be if she can qualify. She declined to discuss the nature of the injury other than to say she initially thought it was head-related: "It was hard for me to drive round-trip to Denver; it was hard for me to get groceries.". The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. It is reported that she was so limited by the injury that she only returned to live practice about 10 days before her rescheduled qualifying series. Her breakthrough came at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she ended Saori Yoshida's 206-match winning streak with a stunning 4-1 decision in the 53-kilogram final. She willed herself to compete in the world championships in Budapest in October 2018 and was pinned in the first round by Alyona Kolesnik of Azerbaijan. The defeat has been attributed to a serious head injury (concussion from a tournament in January 2018[12]). ", Print Headline: Maroulis back on track in bid for more gold. (AP file photo). "I had to give myself permission to heal. [3] She attended Magruder High School for three years, where as a freshman she became the first female wrestler to place at the Maryland state wrestling championships[4] and also was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of a tournament by pinning the senior boy who had won that title the year before, all on the way to 99 high school career victories. Yoshida, of Japan, had been a three-time Olympic gold medalist and 13-time world champion and had pinned Maroulis their previous two meetings.