Taylor Wilde discusses her side career as a firefighter.
After retiring from professional wrestling in 2011, Taylor Wilde became a full-time firefighter in Toronto in 2015. Even after returning to the wrestling in 2021, Wilde has said on numerous occasions that she is still a firefighter despite frequently competing for IMPACT Wrestling.
In a new interview with Fightful, Wilde talked about what inspired her to become a firefighter following her first retirement from the squared circle.
"Mental illness, probably. Nine years active. I’ll be running for captain in about a year. I just talked about this. I’m so inherently, my whole life, this dichotomy of being feminine and masculine. Your whole life as a young woman in the 80s / 90s is like, ‘Oh, you’re just a tomboy, you’ll grow out of it. Whatever.’ That’s not actually a thing. You can be both. I think I’ve always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, obviously. One of the most beautiful things I got to experience with WWE and with TNA years ago is working for Make-A-Wish Foundation and meeting children that are terminal or at the end of their lives and I just thought, ‘I’m so fortunate to be able to have this platform and live this life where I give somebody reprieve and a break from whatever’s going on in their lives.’ But I also have such a part of me that is such a first responder, that is a healthcare worker and it makes me appreciate life so much more. I’m just a dude on paper. That’s really all it is."
When asked which Knockout she would pick to be a firefighter, Wilde had an obvious answer.
“Oooh, Jordynne Grace. Totally. I’d want her on my crew and I’d be like ‘You know what, I’m gonna stand back and I’m gonna look at the big picture’ because I’m also one of those people, and this is what makes a good first responder, but when the building is burning and everyone is running out screaming and losing their mind, I get real calm. That’s how I know I got serious trauma.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Wilde talked about her recent absence from IMPACT Wrestling. To learn more, click here.
Back in 2022, Wilde talked about the self-doubt she had before returning to wrestling. Click here to learn more information.
