April Ross is saying goodbye to beach volleyball after nearly two decades.
The 42-year-old athlete, who recently married firefighter Josh Riley on Saturday, Sept. 14, announced her retirement in an emotional Instagram post on Monday, Oct. 14.
“It is with a very fulfilled and grateful heart, and also some tears, that I am announcing my retirement (after the end of this @avpbeach League season),” she wrote. “18 years, 16 seasons, four quads 😳 I’m glad I can say I lived it to the fullest and that it was an absolute BLAST. At the same time, I’m in disbelief it’s (almost) over, it feels like it went by in a heartbeat.”
Since making her professional debut in 2006, Ross has earned three Olympic medals to her name, including her 2012 silver medal win with Jennifer Kessy, her bronze medal from the 2016 Rio Olympics, which she competed in with Kerri Walsh Jennings, and a gold medal from the 2020 Olympic Games (which were held in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic) with Alix Klineman.
Ross and Klineman currently compete in the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) League. According to the organization’s website, the duo has won two Manhattan Beach Open titles and 11 other AVP victories.
April Ross hits the ball during the finals at AVP Gold Series Championships against Emily Day and Betsi Flint at Oak Street Beach on September 01, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
Justin Casterline/Getty
Ross noted in her post that while there “were lots of ups 🙌🏼 and a few downs” in her career, she would have never imagined “picking up beach volleyball at 26 would lead to all this.”
“It feels both easy and hard for me to step away from playing,” she continued. “After all the hard work I put into gearing up for this season after giving birth and making a big push to be ready for The League, I know I could keep playing.
“But I have the overwhelming feeling that I’ve done all I need to do as an athlete. My motivation has been satisfied, and it’s time to chase other passions,” the beach volleyball player wrote, noting that she “cannot imagine traveling to tournaments and spending that much time away” from her family anymore.”
Ross and Riley welcomed son Ross Riley last October.
The Olympian ended her post by thanking her peers and her fans.
April Ross celebrates after defeating Australia in a Women’s Quarterfinal match on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Beach Volleyball Arena on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty
“THANK YOU to all of you who have supported and cheered me on along the way, it has been so fun sharing my journey with you 💛 I hope you will keep following along for what’s next! 🤗,” she wrote.
