From Hunter to Huntress: Sacramento native Sydney Hunter turns into new “American Gladiator”
Sydney Hunter storms the stage as Huntress in the revival of “American Gladiator.”
IT HAS BEEN 40 YEARS SINCE THE ORIGINAL SERIES OF AMERICAN GLADIATORS AIRED ITS FINAL EPISODE. NOW IT IS READY TO MAKE ITS RETURN TO THE AIRWAVES, THIS TIME, A SACRAMENTO NATIVE WILL DON THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE AS A FEATURED GLADIATOR. AND THIS MORNING, SHE JOINS US RIGHT HERE IN STUDIO SYDNEY. HUNTER, AKA HUNTER’S YES, YES, YES. HOW GOOD DOES THAT SOUND TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE AN AMERICAN GLADIATOR? IT FEELS GOOD BEING ONE OF 16 IN OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO BE CHOSEN OUT OF ONE OF 16 TO BE A GLADIATOR, WHICH IS AN HONOR. SO I CARRY THAT HONOR WITH SO MUCH PRIDE. ABSOLUTELY. SAINT FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNUS. LOVE THAT. DID YOU IMAGINE THAT FROM THAT POINT TO THE GLADIATOR ARENA, THAT THAT WOULD EVER BE PART OF YOUR FUTURE? I WOULDN’T SAY I IMAGINED IT, BUT I’M NOT SURPRISED. I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS DESTINED FOR MORE. I KNEW WORKING A DESK JOB WASN’T GOING TO BE A THING FOR ME. I KNEW I WANTED TO INSPIRE PEOPLE, SO BEING A GLADIATOR IS SOMETHING THAT I’M NOT SURPRISED BY, AND IT FEELS SO RIGHT FOR ME. I BET WE’VE SEEN YOUR INSTAGRAM. YES, YOU’RE ALSO NO STRANGER TO FOLKS WHO LIKE TO WORK OUT BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A PERSONAL TRAINER BACKGROUND. YES. SO I AM A PERSONAL TRAINER. I’M A FITNESS COACH AND I AM A POWERLIFTER. SO INSPIRING OTHERS. AND IN THE GYM, IN AND OUT, EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN, REPEAT IS SOMETHING THAT I AM USED TO. OKAY, YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY. YOU AND I WERE JUST TALKING OFF CAMERA JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE. SOME OF THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN AUDITIONING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, OR AT LEAST MONTHS. HOW LONG DID YOUR AUDITION ACTUALLY TAKE YOU? MY WHOLE AUDITION PROCESS. FROM THE FIRST CALL TO THE END, WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. THEY PROBABLY JUST SAW YOU AND SAID, LOOK, YOU GOT THE LOOK, YOU GOT THE NAME. COME ON BOARD. WHEN SOMETHING’S MEANT FOR YOU. I ALWAYS SAY WHEN IT’S MEANT FOR YOU, IT’S MEANT FOR YOU. AND GLADIATORS WAS MEANT FOR ME. SO IT FIT RIGHT INTO MY LIFE. AND WHEN I GOT THAT FIRST CALL. AND WHEN I WRAP MY MIND AROUND IT. IT ALL JUST FELL RIGHT INTO PLACE FOR ME. YEAH. SPEAKING OF WHICH, LAST NAME IS HUNTER. NOW, YOU’RE HUNTRESS. EXACTLY. PERFECT MARKETING. AND FOR ME, I WANTED A NAME THAT WAS ONE OF ONE. THERE ISN’T ANOTHER HUNTRESS, SO I WANTED A NAME THAT WAS ONE OF ONE, BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE ME. YEAH. AND THERE’S. IT CAN’T BE REPLICATED. COME ON NOW. NO. ABSOLUTELY. SO HERE’S THE THING. I REMEMBER WATCHING THE ORIGINAL SERIES WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, NOT TO DATE MYSELF, BUT BACK THEN EVERYBODY. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FAVORITE GAME? WHAT WHAT’S YOUR GO TO GAME? YOU ALWAYS LIKE THE ONE THAT HAD THE BAZOOKA. SO BAZOOKA BACK THEN. GOT IT. GOT IT FOR ME. BUT WHAT ABOUT FOR YOU? WHAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU’VE KIND OF LEANED INTO? WE HAVE THIS NEW GAME CALLED THE EDGE. OH, OKAY. 30FT IN THE AIR. YOU’RE ON A SPIDER WEB AND YOU’RE TACKLING, BASICALLY PLAYING CHASE IN THE AIR. IT IS SO GOOD. I IMAGINE YOU’RE NOT THE ONE BEING CHASED. OH, COME ON NOW. I’M DOING THE CHASING. I’M ON THE HUNT. SO THE EDGE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE GAMES. AND THEN THE OG CLASSIC GAME ATMOSPHERE IS SO FUN WHEN YOU’RE IN THOSE BIG SPHERES AND YOU’RE JUST GOING, IT’S SO, SO MUCH FUN. AND AGAIN, THE GLADIATOR STADIUM IS JUST YOU CAN’T EVEN REPLICATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT IT? I THINK I ENJOY HEARING THE CROWD AND YOU GET THAT ELECTRIC FEELING. AND ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS IS THE OTHER GLADIATORS. THAT LOCKER ROOM ATMOSPHERE THAT I MISS FROM RUNNING TRACK. I RAN TRACK ALL MY LIFE. SO THAT ATMOSPHERE OF OTHER HIGH LEVEL COMPETITORS CHEERING EACH OTHER ON AND WE’RE ALL UNDER THAT PRESSURE. SO BEING AROUND THEM IS SO MUCH FUN AND I MISS BEING AROUND THEM. SO WHEN WE’RE IN THAT LOCKER ROOM, YOU FEEL THE ADRENALINE, YOU FEEL THAT FIRE. SO IT IS SO AMAZING. WE FEEL PUMPED UP ALREADY. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON IN THIS MORNING. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND WILL ENJOY WATCHING YOU BECAUSE AMERICAN GLADIATOR RIGHT NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON AMAZON. THREE NEW EPISODES DROP THIS FRIDAY. SO THREE ARE OUT. SO YOU HAVE
From Hunter to Huntress: Sacramento native Sydney Hunter turns into new “American Gladiator”
Sydney Hunter storms the stage as Huntress in the revival of “American Gladiator.”
Updated: 12:42 PM PDT Apr 23, 2026
“American Gladiator” is making its return to the airwaves 40 years after its original run ended, and this time a Sacramento native will buff up the cast. Personal trainer, powerlifter, and fitness coach Sydney Hunter will don the red, white, and blue in the role of Huntress, a featured gladiator. Hunter hopes to inspire people and says she wasn’t surprised when she got the role. “When it’s meant for you, it’s meant for you, and Gladiators was meant for me,” said Hunter. When asked what she enjoyed most from the show, she said, “I think I enjoy hearing the crowd, and you get that…electric feeling.”The revived “American Gladiator” is available to stream on Amazon. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
“American Gladiator” is making its return to the airwaves 40 years after its original run ended, and this time a Sacramento native will buff up the cast.
Personal trainer, powerlifter, and fitness coach Sydney Hunter will don the red, white, and blue in the role of Huntress, a featured gladiator. Hunter hopes to inspire people and says she wasn’t surprised when she got the role.
“When it’s meant for you, it’s meant for you, and Gladiators was meant for me,” said Hunter. When asked what she enjoyed most from the show, she said, “I think I enjoy hearing the crowd, and you get that…electric feeling.”
The revived “American Gladiator” is available to stream on Amazon.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel