Olympic hopefuls preparing for the August 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil have taken to online fundraising platform, GoFundMe to expense their trip for the gold.
The popular conception may be that upcoming athletes have a free ride to the Olympic competitions, but in reality only high-profile athletes can easily afford the journey, which can include transportation, physical therapy or chiropractic support, supplements and new apparel or gear.
Over the past several months, nearly 100 athletes have raised nearly $400,000 on GoFundMe as they work to qualify and compete in Brazil. This includes Jeremy Taiwo, Frank Molinaro, Kevin Castille and many more in sports varying from Wrestling, Javelin and Table Tennis.
To help these Olympic hopefuls, GoFundMe created a hub to connect GoFundMe’s giving community of 25 million donors with the athletes training to compete in the the summer games. Over the course of the next few months, GoFundMe will announce new initiatives to rally support for the athletes who have used the platform to fund their competitive journeys.
“As a former athlete myself, it’s exciting to see these young competitors on the road to Rio turn to GoFundMe to achieve their dreams,” said GoFundMe CEO Rob Solomon. “I hope others are inspired to join our giving community and support these athletes.”
