She was a top sprinter for St. Francis. Now she’s on ‘American Gladiators’
Carolyn Veal-Hunter has a nickname picked out for the “American Gladiators” watch party she will attend Friday.
Veal-Hunter is the mother of Sydney Hunter, who grew up in Sacramento and is competing on an Amazon Prime reboot of the 1990s television hit that premieres Friday. Hunter is known on the show as “Huntress.” Her mother will attend the watch party as “Mama Huntress.”
It is a big moment for Hunter, 29, who was a standout sprinter at St. Francis High School and later competed on scholarship at University of California, Riverside. She got into personal training toward the end of college. Her “American Gladiators” spot came through the recommendation of a fellow personal trainer, Ayinde “Neon” Warren, who is also on the show.
“She just got word today that her billboard went up on Sunset and Fairfax (in Hollywood) and the Times Square billboard is up,” Veal-Hunter said. “It’s becoming real now.”
From champion sprinter to ‘American Gladiator’
Hunter’s had a drive to succeed that goes back years. Hannah Churchwell has known Hunter since fourth grade and attended St. Francis with her. They graduated in 2015 and remain friends.
“You always expected Sydney to do big, big things with her life,” Churchwell said.
At first, that thing for Hunter seemed like it would be sprinting. Fast even as a young girl, she competed at St. Francis in the 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and the 400-meter relay. Hunter said that she ran the 400 meters in 55.8 seconds and that her relay team at St. Francis placed fifth at the state championships.
After competing for three years at UC Riverside, Hunter shifted to personal training, initially working with middle school and high school students. Clients today include Hollywood celebrities, according to Fahizah Alim, who is good friends with Veal-Hunter and considers herself like an aunt to Hunter.
Hunter has also worked with Alim and Veal-Hunter as a personal trainer.
“We would get up early in the morning, and Sydney would Zoom in and give us all kind of strenuous exercises, a strenuous physical routine to keep her auntie and her mother in shape,” Alim said. “And she did that for years.”
Through the grind of personal training work, Hunter has built about 96,000 Instagram followers, with a handle @_sydhunter. One of the post notes that her personal record for the deadlift is 500 pounds. She bills herself on her profile as “Superhuman Syd.”
Warren, who is also popular on Instagram, said he had known Hunter for a few years and that he recommended Hunter for “American Gladiators” after he was approached to be on the show. The show was in need of female contestants, Warren said. And he had long respected Hunter’s work ethic and energy.
“She’s actually here putting in the work,” Warren said. “It’s not just for show and tell on social media.”
What Hunter’s work on ‘American Gladiators’ will entail
Hunter is one of 16 season-long competitors on “American Gladiators,” which was filmed last year in France. The competitors will face off against people who come for one-off challenges.
In some respects, she will be right at home on the show, with her athletic background not unusual among the cast. Warren played safety for two college football teams. He said one member of the cast rowed in college and that another also played college football.
“I just love how all of our previous sports that we’ve played translated so well over into ‘American Gladiators,’” Warren said.
Warren touted what the show will depict.
“You’re going to see hard hits, you’re going to see great moments, you’re going to see things that might make you cry a little bit,” Warren said. “But you may see things that are just going to take your breath away.”
Hunter didn’t think her younger self would be surprised that the thing making her known would be “American Gladiators” rather than sprinting.
“If you were to show 16-year-old me like an episode of ‘Gladiators’ and be like you’re going to be on this, 16-year-old me, honestly, would not be surprised,” Hunter said. “Because I always say that I knew I wasn’t destined for a desk job.”
“Growing up, I didn’t ever know what it would be,” she added, “I just knew it was something big.”
Hunter, who is also driven in part by her Christian faith, said she’s right where she needs to be.
“Knowing what we filmed and knowing the greatness and the power of media and film today, I’m so excited for the show,” she said.
Now based in Los Angeles, Hunter intends to return to Sacramento next week, with stops planned at St. Francis on April 23, St. Hope PS7 Elementary the following day and a downtown watch party at a date and time to be determined.
Alim will host an “American Gladiators” watch party on Friday at her home in Pocket-Greenhaven. Hunter grew up in that area.
Sacramento City Councilmember Rick Jennings, a neighbor of Alim who has also known Hunter for some time, also expects to attend Alim’s watch party.
“The number of people who she’s going to influence, it’s going to be incredible,” he said.
Alim said the sky was the limit for her honorary niece.
“She may become a television star,” Alim said. “She’s in the right circle, right place with the right discipline and personality. She calls herself the extra extrovert. She’ll be at the top because she believes in hard work and she’s a talented young lady.”
