How do people support themselves and their families while training for the Olympics?

Question

Do they have jobs in addition to all the training or do they have sponsors?

Answer 1

Most athletes at that level will have big international sponsors.

On top of that, or instead, they surely get salaries from their sporting commition like any other athletes representing their country.

Answer 2

i think they have managers and visit them. they also just bring their families along with them. nice question by the way. and they just pat themselves on the back. lol!!!

Answer 3

They usually have Sponsors.

Answer 4

Many, not all, athletes already come from affluent backgrounds; others rely on corporate sponsorship, where the athlete is viewed pretty much like an investment.  And even then--athletes compete in pro games to both hone their skills and earn $$$ along the way.

Bottom line: MONEY talks.

And the pay off is earning the coveted gold medal--especially in a popular Olympic sport like swimming, volleyball or basketball.  In such sports, the gold medalist can look forwarded to being offered some pretty sweet endorsement $$$$.  

You won't see the badminton gold medal champion on a box of Wheaties.

But 8 time gold medalist Michael Phelps likely is being showered with sweet endorsement offers that can earn him million$--and with his mom as his agent, keeping it in the family is even sweeter.

  

Answer 5

Some have normal jobs and most have sponsorship from sports bodies and advertising.

Answer 6

I believe that they get sponsors, I know someone that has thought of training for the Olympics and they do get paid, but it is very minimal, like $200 or probably a little more a week.  To support a family that is not very much.  

Answer 7

Some have sponsors(state or otherwise), some, like the US basketball team, are paid to do the sport, some are not old enough to hold a job and some have regular 9-5 jobs.  

Take Shawn Johnson, she's still in school so her parents paid for her training.

Then there's Vic Wunderle, he's a sponsored archer.  Several archery manufacturers pay him to shoot.

John Magera, a 2004 US archery team member, he holds a regular job and practice in his spare time.  No sponsors, no money from the US government, paid for all his equipments himself.

Athletes in some countries are supported by the government.  The Ukrainian archery team is an example of this.  But here in the US, the USOC doesn't pay athletes.  They sometimes allow for athletes to stay at the OTC, but you must already be performing at a high level before they will do this.