US Olympic swimmer can barely cover her rent – turns to social media for more cash

“My main job right now — the thing that makes the most money — is definitely TikTok, Instagram and all my social media management,” she added.

Ramirez has amassed nearly 550,000 followers on TikTok alone, and millions tune in to her so-called “ASMR” videos in which she peels the gel off her performance-ready hairstyle.

“What social media means, (is) you can do things on your own time, on your own schedule, you can fulfill your goals and exercise full-time.”

wealth reached out to Ramirez for comment.

Most Olympians do not make money from their sport

Mainstream athletes like Simone Biles can earn millions from endorsement deals. Meanwhile, a few lucky lesser-known athletes like Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo could be set for life with a $555,000 fully furnished apartment, over $200,000 in cash and a lifetime supply of ramen to go with his medals, if I am one of the rare medalists. in the history of their country.

However, most Olympians are not overwhelmed with such offers.

Despite being the first American woman to medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympics, track and field star Lauryn Williams echoed Ramirez’s frustration, saying her phone wasn’t exactly full of job opportunities.

“The news came in, but the sponsors didn’t,” revealed Williams, the only American woman to win a medal at both the summer and winter games.

“There’s this misconception that because I’m the first to do it — and no one else has done it yet — that I’m booked all year for speaking engagements … I get things here or there, but I can’t make a living from this,” she said.

Like Ramirez, she’s had to turn to alternative work to make ends meet — and they’re far from alone.

A 2020 survey of 500 Olympic-level athletes from 48 countries found that 58% did not consider themselves “financially stable”, with respondents complaining of having to live off “regular work” instead of of their sport.

The International Olympic Committee does not offer prize money to participants or medal winners. Instead, it is up to individual countries and their sports’ governing bodies to award prize money, if any.

American athletes who take home a gold medal receive $37,500, for example, silver earning $22,500 and bronze $15,000 (British athletes receive no cash bonus for their wins). But those awards pale in comparison to the lifestyle and work ethic required to perform at that level.

“It’s not once every four years, it’s every day. You miss Christmas, he doesn’t go home, he misses your family,” Ramirez explained. “It’s worth it, but it’s really exhausting.”