Tokyo 2020: 5 athletes who used crowdfunding to finance their Olympic dreams
- Most athletes from bigger nations can rely on national or provincial governing bodies to fund their ambitions but many must fend for themselves
- Hong Kong athletes receive funding from the Elite Training Grant, with those at top of the pile receiving more than HK$40,000 a month
Qualifying for the Olympic Games is a dream come true for any elite athlete. But it comes at a price. On top of extraordinary talent, dedication and hard work, it costs money to reach the top. Often overlooked is the years of training expenses, coaching fees, travel and other costs.
These financial burdens fall on individual athletes and their governing bodies. For a privileged bunch, their expenses may be covered through government funding, commercial endorsements or cash payouts from international competitions.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee does not receive government funding and is financed through private funding, as well as media and sponsorship rights.
But not all athletes have access to such ready cash. Others turn to crowdfunding to finance their living and training expenses, where they typically collect small donations from a large pool of people via online channels. GoFundMe is among the most popular fundraising platform for athletes because of its global reach.
Here are five athletes whose Olympic dreams this summer are bankrolled by donations that poured in via crowdfunding platforms.