COLUMBIA, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- e.l.f. Cosmetics, a brand from e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF), is celebrating strength and power on and off the wrestling mat, serving as the first beauty sponsor of the largest high school girls wrestling competition. The Wonder Women of Wrestling Varsity Tournament, now in its sixth year, attracted 700 athletes from 83 teams and 3,000 spectators for 1,300 matches over the two-day event held January 3-4, 2025.
Wrestling is the fastest growing high school sport in America*. From just 112 high school girls who wrestled in 1990† to now over 64,000 female wrestlers in 2024‡, participation in the sport is exploding thanks to girls embracing a space traditionally dominated by boys.
e.l.f Cosmetics and girls wrestling are a powerful match, both challenging misconceptions, disrupting norms and showing up for its community in unexpected ways and places. e.l.f.’s sponsorship of the Wonder Women of Wrestling Varsity Tournament reflects an ongoing dedication to support underrepresented women’s sports and inspire the next generation of aspiring athletes. The Women in Sports Foundation reports girls who played sports fulfill a variety of leadership roles in adulthood across sectors, with more than 69% of former female athletes defining their current roles as “public sphere leaders.”
e.l.f. has also been a sponsor of the Billie Jean King Cup, the Professional Women’s Hockey League and Indy 500 driver Katherine Legge.
“What I saw at the Wonder Women of Wrestling were dreams coming true as these young women achieved the level of play of top-tier athletes and, more importantly, gained the respect they deserve,” said Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer at e.l.f. Beauty. “These young women are breaking barriers in the sport with passion, resilience, and courage—exemplifying e.l.f.’s mission to be bold disruptors with a kind heart. This sponsorship is a continuation of e.l.f.'s journey in empowering female athletes and investing in game-changing initiatives like this for years to come.”
“When we founded the tournament in the spring of 2018, the original goal was to have the largest and toughest tournament in the country,” said Mike Wakim, Jr., President of the Wonder Women of Wrestling Foundation and tournament founder. “Through their hard work and dedication to the sport, these amazing young women and coaches made it just that: the most prestigious high school women’s wrestling competition. e.l.f.’s involvement is nothing short of amazing, elevating our event to the next level and supporting our vision of empowering the next generation of female athletes to pursue their dreams, on and off the mat.”
e.l.f.'s sponsorship meaningfully supports the future of the young athletes; the brand is funding nine scholarships for college-bound senior wrestlers who participate in the Wonder Women of Wrestling Foundation essay competition.
To further inspire young female wrestlers to go after their dreams, e.l.f. brought history-making Olympian Helen Maroulis as its special guest to e.l.f.'s Twitch stream. Maroulis is the most decorated female wrestler for Team USA, having won three consecutive Olympic medals. She most recently took Bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics by pinning her opponent in a stunning 24 seconds.
Maroulis shared her personal journey in wrestling and offered advice for the next generation of athletes. She encouraged women to be their full authentic selves, step into their strength, and own their power in both sport and the world.
“I’m thrilled that e.l.f. Cosmetics is supporting women’s wrestling and was delighted to share my story as part of their event.”
“If there had been more support for girls wrestling earlier in my athletic career, with incredible initiatives like this, I wouldn’t have had to fight so hard just to fit in. I would have had unshakable belief in myself, my decisions and my Olympic dreams. Young female wrestlers now are growing up with the positive environments and dedicated resources they deserve. They have no doubt they belong in this sport and can achieve their wildest dreams as their fullest, most authentic selves––and I love seeing that.”
Watch e.l.f.’s full event livestream on the e.l.f. You! Twitch channel here:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2344218206?t=0h21m33s
e.l.f. shares its heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and competing teams!
* USA Wrestling
† National Wrestling Hall of Fame
‡ National Federation of State High School Associations
About e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is fueled by a belief that anything is e.l.f.ing possible. We are a different kind of company that disrupts norms, shapes culture and connects communities through positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. e.l.f. Cosmetics, our global flagship brand, makes the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face by bringing together the best of beauty, culture and entertainment. Our superpower is delivering universally appealing, premium quality products at accessible prices that are e.l.f. clean and vegan, all double-certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA as cruelty free. We are proud to have products made in Fair Trade Certified™ facilities. Learn more at www.elfcosmetics.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250110429369/en/
Hannah Rubin
hrubin@elfbeauty.com
Source: e.l.f. Beauty