This 21-Year-Old Athlete Had No One To Sponsor Her Trip To The Olympics And Had To Work At A Supermarket To Fund It
Being an athlete is a full-time career with all the training and competitions, but it’s not always a good-paying job. Government and commercial funding is a tricky thing and even if people are qualified to go to the Olympics, it’s not a guarantee that they will be funded, so athletes have to be creative.
Bored Panda has already talked about BMX racer Bethany Shriever, who launched a crowdfunder when she got invited to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because the UK couldn’t sponsor her trip. And now a new story came up of an Australian sprinter, Riley Day, who worked at a grocery store to save money for the Olympics.
More info: Instagram
Olympian athlete Riley Day didn’t have any sponsors who would help her go to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but she did it anyway
Image credits: _rileyday
Riley Day is a 21-year-old Australian sprinter who began her career at the age of nine. Her highest achievement until competing in the Olympics was winning a gold medal in the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the 200 meters and silver in the 100 meters.
She qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; however, as in the case of Bethany Shriever, no one was sponsoring Riley and she had to think of something to be able to compete in the biggest sporting event in the world.
Image credits: _rileyday
Riley got a job at a supermarket to save up money to fulfill her dream of competing in the Olympics
Image credits: Scott Lewis
In order to make her dream come true, Riley got a part-time job at an Australian supermarket, Woolworths. On the day of her competition, the supermarket chain posted on their LinkedIn: “We’re proud to see one of our team members represent Australia on the world stage. Good luck Riley, we can’t wait to see you on the track!”
They also shared a photo of Riley and a customer named John, who is 90 years old and visually impaired. Woolworths wrote that Riley is always helping him with his weekly shop and if she notices that John didn’t come, the Olympian calls him up to check in.
Image credits: Woolworths Supermarkets
Although Riley didn’t enter the finals, she ran faster than ever and can be proud of her hard work
Image credits: Woolworths Supermarkets
Apparently, the hard work helping the customers and taking care of stock paid off, because we just saw Riley compete in the 200 m run. The athlete passed to the semi-finals, but her competition ended there.
However, Riley has a full right to be proud of herself because she funded her way to Tokyo all by herself and furthermore, she beat her own personal record and now her personal-best result is 22.56 seconds. And she achieved this by training while having to work!
Image credits: _rileyday
Riley herself was satisfied with her results and what is more, she is gaining more and more recognition
Image credits: _rileyday
While speaking to Channel 7, Riley couldn’t control her emotions, “Holy s**t! That was a much better race than this morning. I’ve got my groove. Now I hope it’s the fastest heat so I can get in the final. Because that is a massive PB. That’s awesome. I want to be the best and nothing is going to stop me from being the best.”
She also casually added that people can follow her on Instagram as she posts a lot there. From having 21,000 followers before that interview, Riley is now nearing 100k followers. So now, even though she doesn’t have sponsors to support her financially, she has huge emotional support from her admiring followers.
People who heard about Riley’s story were happy for the athlete and were admiring her dedication
It is surely an inspirational story proving that if you want something, there are no obstacles that can truly stop you. But what do you think of Riley’s story? Do you think that it is nothing special as most people have to work several jobs or do you think that Riley was doing more than an average person would commit to? Leave us all of your thoughts in the comments!
So...Woolworths got massive *feel good* promotion for their brand from posting about their employee’s achievements, but didn’t pony up to officially sponsor her Olympic debut? What a scummy, exploitative move.
Just googled it. Woolworths is worth 13 billion. I find it embarrassing they didn't contribute a cent.
Load More Replies...dont usually the countries Olympic Committees help them get the sponsors and cover any extra costs? Australia dropped the ball here
Australia usually throws money at sport... Maybe there isn't as much money at this point in time
Load More Replies...This is not news in many many countries!!! So many athletes go alone at the Olympics without any sponsoring, no money at all!!! In Greece we had many complaints this year from athletes that are completely left alone to struggle with 200€ per month with no stadiums to train properly! They train in fields while our stadiums in Athens that we paid billions for, are are ruined! Honestly so many athletes struggle and still manage to come back home with medals!!
Indeed. Also, to get to olimpic level, they need to work without sponsors as well. That's why most of them aren't able to reach this level. And that's why we're very happy in some countries when we get a medal. There's no equity in gender nor countries.
Load More Replies...This is another one of these sad stories dressed up as a feel-good story. If she was good enough for the Olympics, she should have been sponsored by by the Ozzie Olympic Committee.
Maybe I'm dense but my first thoughts were, "Wait, most Olympians don't work to make money? Does that mean they're independently wealthy to afford to not have a job?". If the only athletes we see are the ones wealthy enough to not have a money making job, then much of the Olympics is a farce. It's not, "the best in the world", it's "the best of the rich".
In many many cases their respective sports are the job. They have sponsors, government grants and prize money as their salary.
Load More Replies...Yeah, it's tough when these super poor countries don't have the money to send their Olympians to the oldest and most important sports event..... Seriously, Australia, this is just embarassing.
The BMX Gold Medal winner from the UK had to gofund me to go also, they sponsored the mens team but no money for the girls, this is really nuts. Woolies could have easily helped her and yes the ad work of just this post alone. They will probably also try and use her in future, but she will most likely not benefit from it financially, COLES you should steal her.
Wait, I don’t get it. Can anyone just compete at the Olympics? How can you go if the government doesn’t send you? Why would you even say you represent Australia if they aren’t sponsoring you? Can an individual compete at the Olympics just for themselves?
Well no one can just compete. You need to try out first and if you're good enough, THEN you're allowed to attend. Otherwise I agree why didn't her government sponsor her? Or even Woolworths?
Load More Replies...Every other country covers the cost WHY DON'TWE? We brag about them when they win but don't do a damned thing about helping them.
off course there's merit... the same as Photographers working at McDonalds to buy they're equipment, usicians/Producers and DJs working wherever they can to buy they're gear. Work to be able to fullfill a dream: That sounds to me as the history of 90% of world's population. Real working class heroes. There are many of them!
We all have to work to pay for what we want. Those of us who aren't born rich anyway.
A professional sport player earn their money training and doing competitions. However, other high level sport players also must work in another job, so they don't have the same time to train. Also, they usually can't afford some material, coaches and ways to train.
Load More Replies...So...Woolworths got massive *feel good* promotion for their brand from posting about their employee’s achievements, but didn’t pony up to officially sponsor her Olympic debut? What a scummy, exploitative move.
Just googled it. Woolworths is worth 13 billion. I find it embarrassing they didn't contribute a cent.
Load More Replies...dont usually the countries Olympic Committees help them get the sponsors and cover any extra costs? Australia dropped the ball here
Australia usually throws money at sport... Maybe there isn't as much money at this point in time
Load More Replies...This is not news in many many countries!!! So many athletes go alone at the Olympics without any sponsoring, no money at all!!! In Greece we had many complaints this year from athletes that are completely left alone to struggle with 200€ per month with no stadiums to train properly! They train in fields while our stadiums in Athens that we paid billions for, are are ruined! Honestly so many athletes struggle and still manage to come back home with medals!!
Indeed. Also, to get to olimpic level, they need to work without sponsors as well. That's why most of them aren't able to reach this level. And that's why we're very happy in some countries when we get a medal. There's no equity in gender nor countries.
Load More Replies...This is another one of these sad stories dressed up as a feel-good story. If she was good enough for the Olympics, she should have been sponsored by by the Ozzie Olympic Committee.
Maybe I'm dense but my first thoughts were, "Wait, most Olympians don't work to make money? Does that mean they're independently wealthy to afford to not have a job?". If the only athletes we see are the ones wealthy enough to not have a money making job, then much of the Olympics is a farce. It's not, "the best in the world", it's "the best of the rich".
In many many cases their respective sports are the job. They have sponsors, government grants and prize money as their salary.
Load More Replies...Yeah, it's tough when these super poor countries don't have the money to send their Olympians to the oldest and most important sports event..... Seriously, Australia, this is just embarassing.
The BMX Gold Medal winner from the UK had to gofund me to go also, they sponsored the mens team but no money for the girls, this is really nuts. Woolies could have easily helped her and yes the ad work of just this post alone. They will probably also try and use her in future, but she will most likely not benefit from it financially, COLES you should steal her.
Wait, I don’t get it. Can anyone just compete at the Olympics? How can you go if the government doesn’t send you? Why would you even say you represent Australia if they aren’t sponsoring you? Can an individual compete at the Olympics just for themselves?
Well no one can just compete. You need to try out first and if you're good enough, THEN you're allowed to attend. Otherwise I agree why didn't her government sponsor her? Or even Woolworths?
Load More Replies...Every other country covers the cost WHY DON'TWE? We brag about them when they win but don't do a damned thing about helping them.
off course there's merit... the same as Photographers working at McDonalds to buy they're equipment, usicians/Producers and DJs working wherever they can to buy they're gear. Work to be able to fullfill a dream: That sounds to me as the history of 90% of world's population. Real working class heroes. There are many of them!
We all have to work to pay for what we want. Those of us who aren't born rich anyway.
A professional sport player earn their money training and doing competitions. However, other high level sport players also must work in another job, so they don't have the same time to train. Also, they usually can't afford some material, coaches and ways to train.
Load More Replies...
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