With one year to go until the Rio 2016 Olympic games, it is easy to get swept by the preparation and forget about the funding needed to get there. Making sure you have enough funds available to travel to the competitions is just as important as making sure you are physically ready to perform.
It happen way too often that an athlete or a team will run out of funds and will not be able to make the qualification. For example, the Canadian women’s beach volleyball pair ran out of funds late in qualifying season before 2012 Olympic Games.
So, how can you make sure that you have enough funds in the bank to cover all of the expenses necessary to qualify for the Olympics? Well, here is a short list from the MAKEACHAMP team :
A social media following
Social media is powerful because leverages content to connect more than a billion people worldwide. As experts in their respected fields, athletes can win big by sharing the right content. Winning big with a large online presences can translate to big bucks in the bank with social media endorsements from companies looking to gain exposure with your help. To learn about how to leverage social media to get sponsored read this blog.
A sponsorship package
A sponsorship package is nearly essential because it helps you present yourself as a sponsorship opportunity to another group, organization or company. It might require a small investment to get the right graphic designer but it will pay off dramatically. As you are going on your journey to Olympics, having a sponsorship package ready to be sent out at any moment can be crucial to capturing some critical funds.
A crowdfunding campaign
This is probably the most efficient way to secure the necessary funding for your athletic goals. Creating a crowdfunding campaign is a great way to raise funds, get sponsored and share your journey with your community. When running a campaign, you are essentially let people know that you need funds to accomplish your goals and you are giving them the opportunity to join your mission.
A list of grants
Most countries have an extensive amount of grants available for athletes of all sports. These grants are designed to help the athletes when they are in need. Knowing which grants are available to you is the first step. The next step is filling out the applications and submiting them.
Conclusion
You are an athlete, you should be focused on training and competing to the best of your abilities, you shouldn't be worrying. But the reality is that if you are in an amateur sport, you won't have the type of pay cheque that will cover all the expenses necessary to qualify for the olympic games. Luckily with small steps you can almost guarantee another source of income that will help you cover those expenses.
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