In the summer of 2024, the City of Lights called athletes and spectators from around the world for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. As School District 49 geared up for the start of the fall semester in Colorado Springs and eastern El Paso County, a member of the D49 workforce had an overseas assignment: coach a determined wrestler pursuing her dreams of becoming an Olympic champion.  

In this episode, we welcome U.S. Gold Medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, and Vladislav Izzy Izboinikov, from D49’s Springs Studio of Academic Excellence. We’ll learn how these two have found a winning combination as coach and athlete, what it’s like to watch the final seconds run off the clock on the way to Olympic Gold, and why more athletes like Sarah are stepping onto the mat.