From $200K Sponsorships to $12-an-Hour Internship: Olympic Gold Medalist Lauryn Williams Exposes the Hidden Financial Reality Behind Athletic Fame

Olympic fame might seem like a ticket to lifelong financial stability, but for Lauryn Williams, it was a path filled with unexpected money disappointments. The track and bobsled star, who earned $200,000 a year at age 20 through sponsorship from Nike, in sponsorships, found herself working an internship at $12 an hour by the time she was 30 as she transitioned out of sports. Photo via https://www.lauryn-williams.com/meet-lauryn Williams made history as the first American woman to medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. However, despite her groundbreaking achievements, the financial rewards of her athletic career did not extend as far as expected. Williams Talks Beyond the Medals “The news coverage came, but the sponsors didn’t,” Williams told CNBC “Make It.” “I made $80,000 the year I became the first American woman to medal in the Summer and Winter Olympics. The reality was quite different from the public perception.” Williams faced the challenge of re-entering the workforce. By 2013, at the age of 30, she began an internship at Briaud Financial Advisors. “I felt kind of insecure that I didn’t have any real work knowledge,” she said. “I was behind the ball because I was 30 years old and just...