OUTSTANDING AMERICAN

·        Years in the Army: 8 years

·        Years of Competition: 2003-2008, 2014-2016

·        Wrestle Like A Girl:  2016 to Present

Sally Roberts is a pioneering champion in women’s wrestling, a decorated elite athlete, a combat veteran, and the Founder and CEO of Wrestle Like A Girl®, a mission driven organization to empower girls and women using the sport of wrestling to become leaders in life.

Raised in Federal Way, Washington. Roberts graduated from Federal Way High School in 1999--the first in her family to earn a high school diploma.  Her early experiences instilled in her a belief that opportunity, not circumstance, shapes potential.  Despite winning only one match during her high school wrestling career, she exemplified resilience, grit, and the life-changing power of sport, ultimately rising to become one of the most accomplished athletes in U.S. women’s wrestling.

Roberts trained for eight years at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, earning distinction as a three-time U.S. National Champion, World Cup Champion, two-time World Bronze Medalist, and Olympic Alternate. Alongside her athletic career, she served eight years in the U.S. Army Special Operations, including a voluntary deployment to Afghanistan. As part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program, she represented both Team USA and the U.S. Army in elite international competition.

In 2016, Roberts founded Wrestle Like A Girl®, leading national advocacy and policy efforts that were instrumental in supporting 41 additional states in sanctioning girls high school wrestling as an official sport, securing NCAA Championship status for women’s wrestling, leading diplomatic sports envoys on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, and accelerating the sport’s explosive growth across the United States and globally.  Roberts has played a central role in shaping national policy related to equitable access to wrestling, advising state associations, national governing bodies, and federal agencies on expanding opportunities for girls and women in sport.

Her contributions to sport and service have been recognized globally. Roberts received the 2016 Women in Sport Award from United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee, and she was named USA Wrestling Woman of the Year in 2018.   Beyond sport, she is a U.S. State Department Sports Diplomat and Americans for Ibogaine Ambassador, contributing to merging national conversations on veterans’ health, trauma recovery and the responsible legalization of plant medicine.

A respected national voice for veterans, women’s empowerment, and innovative veteran-focused healing solutions, Roberts has appeared on the cover of VFW Magazine, in a national VFW Campaign film, and on Megyn Kelly’s Today Show. She has spoken at the United Nations Global Good Summit, the U. S. State Department, military programs, colleges and universities across the United States, continuing to advocate for a stronger, healthier America.

Through her military service, athletic excellence, public advocacy, and transformative leadership, Sally Roberts has reshaped the landscape of women’s wrestling and expanded opportunity for thousands.   Her legacy continues to open doors for future generations of girls, women and veterans seeking purpose, strength and possibility.