Families Go To Great Lengths To Cheer On Their Olympians

As excited as friends and family members are to see their loved ones qualify for an Olympic team, it can be just as stressful working out the travel logistics to actually see their favorite swimmers race live.

Flights from the United States to Rio, for example, range from anywhere between $1,237 to $5,741, while the average price for a hotel room in the host city is around $500 per night (GoBankingRates).

In light of these costs, parents, sisters and significant others of newly-minted Olympians have had to get creative in terms of accomplishing the goal of making the expensive trek to Brazil a reality.

Chase Kalisz (USA)

For first-time Olympian Chase Kalisz, a crowdfunding site was established to help the 22-year-old’s mom get to see her son compete closer than from just her couch. A family friend, Karma Tousignant, arranged for funds donated through a gofundme.com website to go towards defraying the cost for Chase’s mother to travel to Rio.

Listening to the plea, “Having watched closely as my aunt has dedicated her life to supporting her children and their dreams, I know you will agree that she needs to be there”, contributors to the Kalisz crowdfunding campaign helped the effort exceed its goal.

The site’s target was $10,000, but as of publishing, the site lists $10,639 as having been raised by 150 people in 15 days, enough for both parents to travel and watch Chase compete.

Said the fundraising organizer on the site, “As most of you know, we were able to meet our fundraising goal. Nothing makes me happier than knowing that Chase will have both of his parents in the stands while he swims.”

Kelsi Worrell (USA)

Hailing from Westampton, New Jersey, now-graduated University of Louisville butterflier Kelsi Worrell also qualified for her first Olympic team. Naturally, mother Erica Worrell wanted the chance to see her daughter take to the pool in person, so the family put together a t-shirt project to help offset the costs.

The family designed ‘Team Worrell’ t-shirts, which sold for just two weeks online immediately after Omaha Trials. According to local media, 1,099 shirts were purchased from around the country. The proceeds, along with additional monetary donations, totaled $27,000. Now, 7 members of the Worrell family are traveling to Brazil – Kelsi’s parents, 3 of 5 siblings, her uncle and grandfather.

“We were shocked with the amount of support we received,” said Kelsi’s mom of the project’s outcome.

Adam Peaty (GBR)

In other cases, families face bold new steps of a different kind when taking the Olympic journey with their sons, daughters, sisters or brothers. Caroline Peaty, the mother of world record holder Adam Peaty, will be taking her very first plane ride when flying to Rio to watch son Adam compete.

“I’ve never flown before, never been further than France,” Caroline Peaty says. “I’ve always taken my leave around Adam’s races in this country and I love to watch him, but this is going to be a shock.”

Although well-established on the international racing scene, 2016 marks Peaty’s first Olympic squad and Rio marks the furthest he’s competed distance-wise.

“Mum and Dad…the furthest they’ve been is France so that’s going to be a big shock to them. It’s going to be great for them to see how the rest of the world is,” Adam says of the family adventure.

“My mum tries to make every race that she can. I’d probably hear her from all the way over there anyway (if she did not fly).”