(Podcast length 5:27 mins)
Eating healthy and staying in shape isn’t cheap, and while some professional athletes make millions to be in mint condition, what about our Olympians? Food for thought.
Transcript
1. If you follow LeBron James, 37, on Instagram, you know he loves wine and is in insane shape. There’s no word on his annual wine budget, but he reportedly spends $1.5 million a year staying in shape. The two-time NBA (National Basketball Association) MVP uses cryotherapy and a hyperbaric chamber (amongst other things) to remain in prime condition along with a team that includes a personal chef, masseuse and a trainer. That’s nothing considering, according to Forbes, he’ll make $41.2 million in salary alone for the upcoming 2021-22 season and an estimated $70 million from other business ventures. WORTHY INVESTMENT
2. In an interview, Russell Wilson, one of the highest-paid players in the NFL (National Football League), said he pays close to $1 million a year on recovery. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback has a team that travels everywhere with him and his wife Ciara, including a physical therapist, a “mobile person” who makes sure Wilson is “moving the right way,” a massage therapist and two chefs. DON’T WE ALL?
3. Let’s talk about the ageless Tom Brady. How about shelling out a minimum of $16,000 a year to eat like him? (Chef not included). His diet is legendary, and it has not only inspired his company TB12 and food line Purple Carrot, but it has inspired his fellow players to up their game. Case in point, Odell Beckham Jr. of the Los Angeles Rams. He liked what he saw in the 44-year-old Brady and credits him for the longevity in his own career. OBJ said that he spends around $300,00 a year on doctors, trainers and track coaches who help him train and recover. WHATEVER IT TAKES
4. Sure, that’s great that these prominent athletes can swing the price tag to stay at the top of their game, but what about when it comes to the Olympics? In a sport that doesn’t get much time in the limelight, table tennis athletes train for anywhere between eight to 12 years to reach the Olympic level at the tune of $20,000 a year. Mom of Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas said the expense of her daughter’s training, which is around $15,000/year just in training, was one of the factors in why she had to file for bankruptcy. Remember, athletes aren’t paid to participate in the Olympics, and those who compete in less mainstream sports have to work hard to secure sponsors. Although it doesn’t even out, Olympians receive a financial reward for winning a medal. ALL-IN
5. What happens when you spend all of that money and don’t make it to the big show – the Olympics? Ice dancers, siblings Rachel and Michael Parsons’ family spent over $500,000 during their 12-year career. With their eyes on the Olympics, expenses were mounting up to the tune of $40,000 - $75,000 a year. Sadly, the two never did qualify for the Winter Olympics. HEART AND BANK-BREAKING
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