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Sarah Hildebrandt Parade Photo Gallery (Sept. 8, 2024)
Posted on September 8, 2024On Sunday, September 8, the Michiana community joined Penn and P-H-M in giving Olympic Gold Medalist Sarah Hildebrandt a Heroine’s Welcome!
[Applause] here she is the 30-year-old from Granger Indiana Golden Glow for Sarah hilderbrand Olympic [Applause] [Music] champion all the way all the way back you know obviously a lot goes into to winning something like this this doesn't happen if I'm in a community that doesn't support a girl wrestling on a boy team you know I don't think I would have had the resilience as a seventh grader to keep going had my community not uplifted me had my teammates not uplifted me my coaches but they did and
00:00:37
so and phm did we have my high school coach and my corner at the Olympics it's like you know there's nobody in the whole Olympics doing that literally the entire Olympics the pen raised our kids helped us they're they're part of the family and it's not just Sarah we have a whole bunch of them so um you know it's been a big part of our Lives all along the way so supportive and kind of calmed our nerves the whole time because she did wrestle on the boys Team all through here and so they were no problem
00:01:08
though the boys I want to go off it she keeps saying we and all this and it's yes she is so humble but it's this girl right here like she is a shining star and whatever she decides to do she will be the best it's a very special one right here in front of us guys thank you appreciate it ready for the parade let's go [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]
Before Sarah’s “Welcome Home” kicked off, the local media got some one-on-one time with Sarah, her parents, and Penn Head Wrestling Coach Brad Harper during a news conference. Coach Harper was Sarah’s wrestling coach when she was at Penn; he became her personal coach and coached her at the Tokyo Olympics wear she won Bronze. Coach Harper planned this special homecoming for Sarah. Click to see the full photo gallery below.
The parade left from Penn High School and went down McKinley approximately two miles and ended at Zolman’s Tire.
Thank you to all the parade participants who volunteered their time on a Sunday afternoon: Mishawaka and Penn Twp. Fire Departments, St. Joseph County Police, the Marching Kingsmen, Penn Girls and Boys Wrestling Teams, Penn Cheerleaders, Penn Youth Wrestling Club, Rocket Football cheerleaders, and Dr. and Mrs. Thacker. Along with Sarah with her mom Nancy and dad Chris, Sarah’s extended family were also in the parade. Sarah and her parents were in a golden yellow convertible Mustang driven by St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman. Thank you to Zolman’s Tire for supplying some trucks.
After the parade was over, hundreds gathered at Urban Swirl in Granger for an Olympic Celebration emceed by Mark McGill. A representative from Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood’s office read a proclamation declaring September 8th as Sarah Hildebrandt Day! U.S. Congressman Rudy Yakym read the historical entry on Sarah’s Olympic achievement that he will be submitting to the official U.S. Congressional Record.
Sarah was able to see and catch up with the coach who gave her first break, then Discovery Middle School Wrestling Coach Raoul Donati.
Sarah threw out free T-shirts featuring her smiley face tattoo on the front and her viral X tweet on the back.
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Grateful for all the love and support that her hometown gave her, Sarah graciously took hundreds of pictures with all of her adoring fans. She also signed hundreds of autographs on posters, shirts, singlets, wrestling shoes and even foreheads!
Check it all out in the photo gallery below.
Last Modified April 7, 2026