For even probably the most elite athletes, qualifying for the Olympics is just one a part of the battle. The subsequent step is discovering the funding to compete in worldwide sports activities occasions. Unbeknownst to most, U.S. Olympic groups are largely privately funded — and typically, that funding comes from an surprising supply, like hip-hop icon Taste Flav.
After Maggie Steffens, the captain of the 2024 U.S. ladies’s water polo workforce, just lately make clear how difficult it may be to lift the cash to compete, the “Don’t Consider the Hype” rapper vowed to return to her help within the feedback.
“Some could not know this, however most Olympians want a 2nd (or third) job to assist chasing the dream (myself included!) and most groups depend on sponsors for journey, lodging, dietary assist, hire/lodging and easily affording to dwell this present day,” Steffens, 30, started within the caption of a Could 4 publish on Instagram.
She continued, “Particularly feminine sports activities and feminine athletes. We’ve had firms & wonderful people assist our sport alongside donors, USAWP & USOPC, however we all the time want extra assist.”
In response, Flav wrote, “AYYY YOOO,,, as a woman dad and supporter of all ladies’s sports activities – imma personally sponsor you, my lady, no matter you want. And imma sponsor the entire workforce.”
Beneficial Tales
Flav is a father to eight kids, together with 4 daughters. He shares daughters Shanique Drayton, Karren Drayton, and Karla Drayton with ex-girlfriend Karen Ross, daughter Da’Zyna Drayton and sons Quanah Drayton and William Drayton with one other ex, Angie Parker, and son Karma Drayton together with his spouse, Elizabeth Trujillo. In 2022, the daddy realized he additionally had a son named Jordan, 4.
In his response to Steffens, the fact TV star added that his supervisor can be reaching out to her agent to determine how he may assist and repeated his willingness to make use of his sources to supply regardless of the workforce would possibly want.
“That’s a FLAVOR FLAV promise,” he stated.
Because the U.S. Girls’s Water Polo workforce gears up for this summer season’s Olympic video games, they have already got three gold wins – in 2012, 2016, and 2020 – below their belt. Nevertheless, as many athletes, together with Steffens, have shared, competing on the international degree is a expensive endeavor. 1000’s upon 1000’s of {dollars} are spent simply to coach forward of time, along with the price of journey.
In line with the Olympics’ web site, the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) makes use of cash generated from the Olympics to assist fund athletes and sports activities organizations around the globe. In the meantime, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee additionally raises cash to assist offset the monetary burden on athletes.
Taste Flav is simply the newest superstar and rapper to point out assist for the U.S. workforce forward of July. In a current marketing campaign for NBC, Cardi B bought manicures with Olympic runner Sha’Carri Richardson and declared that she can be attending simply to see the observe star.
The 2024 Summer season Olympics in Paris are set to start on Friday, July 26.
