Some Olympic gold medalists use their prize money to buy something they've always wanted, while others might put it into stocks or savings. Others use their olympic gold medal payout generously, donating to causes and sharing with family. U.S. Olympic athlete Tamyra Mensah-Stock has made headlines with her performance this week, and she's using her prize money to buy her mom something she's always wanted.
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Tamyra Mensah-Stock Made History
Although Simone Biles has been a focus of the summer games after her impressive medal count at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, it seems we have another American Olympian to keep our eyes on. Tamyra Mensah-Stock blew her competition out of the water at the Tokyo games and stole the hearts of many a viewer.
This Texas-born athlete made history this week in the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Black woman ever to win a gold medal for Team USA in freestyle wrestling. The 28-year-old gold medallist started wrestling in 10th grade, and her innate talent quickly became clear. At the 2106 U.S. Olympic trial, she didn't qualify for the olympics.
However, through dedication and training, she qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympics, and has made it clear from the start that she's fierce competition.
Olympic Medalist Prize Money
Although the International Olympic Committee and Paralympic Committee doesn't give out cash prizes to competitors, each respective country gives prize money to its medal winners. The largest cash prize offered by any country is Singapore, who awards its gold medal winners with $737,000, silver medalists with $369,000 and bronze medalists with $184,000. On the other end of the spectrum, Australia gives the lowest amount for winning medals.
The Philippines is number five on the list of Olympic medal bonuses, providing its athletes $200,000 for a gold medal. As for the U.S., we give the ninth largest payout to our olympic medalists. U.S. Olympic athletes receive $37,500 for gold medals, $22,500 for silver medals, and $15,000 for bronze medals. Along with receiving prize money for medals, Olympic athletes earn money through endorsement deals or sponsorships.
Tamyra Mensah-Stock's Winnings Go to Her Mom
After Tamyra Mensah-Stock's incredible performance at the Tokyo games, she now has $37,500 in prize money. The first thing she's going to buy? A food truck for her mom! Tamyra's mother has always had the dream of opening up a food truck, and her daughter is finally making it happen for her. Tamyra was raised in Katy, Texas, so naturally, her mom's food truck will serve BBQ.
"I wanted to give my mom $30,000 to get a food truck. It's her dream," said Tamyra. "I told her five years ago, 'I'll get you your food truck, but you gotta be responsible.' She's like 'Thank you, baby'...so my mom's getting her food truck! She can cook, really really well."
Mensah-Stock immediately won over Texas with her plans for her Olympic medal winnings. She also spoke out about her hopes for younger girls watching her successes. "It means that they see someone like themselves on that podium. [B]eing an Olympic champ is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life. And I can say it's well worth it."
