Do Olympic competitors have jobs, back home, while not training/ competing???

Question

Some Olympic competitors are 26 and up (Dana Torres). Do they have jobs or do sponsors pay for their life, just as long as they keep winning? It takes so much time to dedicate yourself to Olympic training and qualifying, it seems like one wouldn't have much time for much else. Yet, being 41, without a job??? Scary and unpredictable.

Answer 1

It all depends on the sport and the athlete. Some have sponsorships.   As the chimerical says, some work at Home Depot, but others have other jobs.  One of the swimmers is finishing his MD residency. Some of the basket ball team are professional players.   Some of the older athletes are supported by their spouses.  

Answer 2

The higher profile competitors don't, they have sponsors and government grants so that they can afford to train four hours a day.

The less well known do though, I was reading an article today in the newspaper about an Australian judo competitor from my city that works in a gas station and had to have a fund raiser to afford to send his family with him to Beijing.

Some do, some don't.  

Answer 3

Some do, some don't.  

No, sponsors do not pay for their life.

Some are married, so training is their 'job'.

Some are kids and their parents make the money.

Some are forbidden to work by their government..training IS their job.

Answer 4

I'm not completely sure if all of them have jobs, but I'm sure they have schooling and degrees for other jobs. When they talk about the backgrounds and lives of the athletes- a lot of times they mention, at least for the younger ones, where they are planning on going to school and what they are going to major in. But most of them defer college until after the games. I'm sure it's the same for the athletes older than 26. They probably have other lives at home but have put their lives on hold for a few years just until after the games. Their spouses probably support them.