“I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent.”… Veronica Fraley, an American track-and-field star…. The post grabbed the attention of Ohanian — (redditor cofounder) who promptly sent her $7,760 on Venmo.

Some may not know this, but most Olympians need a 2nd (or 3rd) job to support chasing the dream (myself included!),” she wrote. “Most teams rely on sponsors for travel, accommodations, nutritional support, rent/lodging, and simply affording to live in this day and age.

Especially female sports and female athletes.

Beyond celebrity donations, Olympic athletes and their families have been raising money for their training and expenses through crowdfunding campaigns. Fraley’s GoFundMe campaign has generated over $15,000 from more than 400 promised donations less than 24 hours after it launched on Thursday.

One of the most high-profile campaigns benefited Dylan Beard, an Olympic hopeful in hurdles and full-time employee at the deli counter at a Walmart in North Carolina. Since he appeared on the Today show in April, Beard’s GoFundMe has raised more than $55,000. (Unfortunately, Beard ultimately didn’t qualify to compete in the 2024 Games.)

The fundraising trend isn’t exclusive to the U.S. Athletes from Australia and Great Britain, among other countries, are also running crowdfunding campaigns to help them pursue their dreams.

Some athletes are even using crowdfunding in retirement.

                A campaign for Mary Lou Retton, the legendary American gymnast who won five Olympic medals in 1984, 
                originally set a fundraising goal of $50,000 to help cover her extensive medical debts related to her battle against a rare form of 
                pneumonia. The campaign, launched last year on the Spotfund platform, has now amassed more than $450,000.

If the Summer Olympics have you feeling patriotic, there’s an easy way to show your support for America’s athletes: give them money.

https://money.com/celebrities-crowdfunding-help-olympians-pay-bills/?