“I finally accomplished a life long goal,” Hidlay said in an interview with The Sentinel during a visit home over the weekend. “That was really exciting, but I was exhausted by the end of it too. It was so much fun to be able to celebrate with my family, my fiancee, and my coaches. Having them all there made it really special.”

For Hidlay, the gold medal draped around his neck only fueled the fire. It further brought to life his visions of what his career can be.

“This week and next week, I’ll stay off the mat and let my mind and body recover,” he explained, “but then I’ll slowly get back into training. I probably won’t compete again until late December or early January, so I have some time to recover.”

During his time of slight inactivity, Hidlay still has his thoughts on his future goals, repeating his success and going even further.

Submitted photo Trent Hidlay stands with Vance Varner (right), and shakes hands with the referee before Friday night’s football game.

“My immediate goal is to make the world team again next year and win another world title in 2026,” he explained, “Winning this year showed me I can do it, so now I want to keep building.” However Hidlay’s ultimate destination is even larger. “Ultimently, I want to keep the momentum going into 2028 for the (Los Angeles) Olympics. That’s the big dream.”

Throughout his dreaming, Hidlay has stood strong in his foundation of family.

“My brother (Hayden Hidlay), is probably the person who has impacted my career the most. Growing up together, training together, going through our wrestling careers side by side – he’s been a huge motivator,” Hidlay reflected.

As he prepares his mind and body for his next years of intense and relentless training, Hidlay carries many valuable lessons he has learned throughout his career.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to never give up on myself. Even when things didn’t go my way in college, I knew I had more to give. I trusted the work I was doing and stayed authentic to who I am, and eventually it paid off with a world title.”

Submitted photo Trent Hidlay walks across Marcel Paper Field in front of his alma mater for recognition on Friday Night.

Hidlay set the tone for small town athletes, proving that the impossible is possible for anyone. “For me, success is giving my absolute best every time I compete. I can’t always control the results, but I can control my effort and attitude. If I can do that, I can be proud no matter what,” Hidlay expressed.

Hidlay hopes to pass this mindset along to the current and future athletes of Mifflin County, saying, “Don’t be afraid to set really big goals, but also be prepared to fail along the way. Failure has been a huge part of my success. You have to be willing to put yourself out there, learn from mistakes, and keep going.”

As he eyes another world title and craves Olympic glory, for now, Hidlay enjoys the simple things, like being back at home, attending the Mifflin County homecoming football game, spending time with family and support systems, like his hometown church, and relishing in his new world title.

For an athlete who has already achieved one of the highest honors, it is clear that Hidlay’s journey and wrestling career is far from over, but instead, is just getting started.