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What the Olympics Cost the Family

Gabby Douglas and Ryan Lochte leave London with the potential to make millions of dollars in endorsements with their gold medals. However, as one online report asks, what’s all this really cost? It seems that in order to prepare kids to become Olympics, it takes much more than some families have.

Parents of gymnasts, as just one example, can expect to pay $1,000 per month for a training facility. Travel costs can be even more expensive to families. The practive and show leotards and warm-up suits can run $300 to $500 for one set. Then, as one source reports, there are the fees for each competition. Of course, when a gymnast is hand picked for the U.S. national team, and then has to travel internationally, USA Gymnastics takes care of that expense. However, any family member who goes with them does so with here or her own money. 

The Daily Beast reports, Eddie Adams, father of Olympic swimmer Camille Adams, said of the costs, “It's probably going to be around $15,000 to $20,000 for me, my ex-wife, Camille's twin, my sister, and my sister-in-law to go.” And let’s not forget the grocery bill for those 12,000-calorie, Olympic-size feasts.”

As The Daily Beast reported, “The Olympics are where a moment on the medal stand, representing 300 million people…” That day of receiving a gold medal will, for many, be the “most cherished day of their sporting lives.” And as one source asks, if that’s not enough, then why do it?

Read the full news story here. 

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