On Friday, GoFundMe announced four athletes who raised funds on its crowdfunding platform won medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The athletes were:
- Caeleb Dressel, USA: Gold in 4×100 freestyle relay
- Chase Kalisz, USA: Silver in the 400 IM
- David Plummer, USA: Bronze in the 100M Backstroke
- Michelle Williams, Canada: Bronze in the 4x100M Relay
GoFundMe CEO, Rob Solomon, stated:
“As we got closer to the 2016 games in Rio, we noticed that athletes were actively raising money on GoFundMe, not only for equipment, training, coaching and qualifying meets, but also to have their loved ones by their side. In order to inspire and empower the community to rally around these athletes, we created a dedicated hub to help facilitate fundraising for the athletes’ campaigns. We’ve seen more than 8,1000 donors from around the world come together to show support for over 140 different campaigns, raising more than $780,000.”
Solomon then noted:
“Week one in Rio was an amazing one for GoFundMe athletes and their families. Congratulations to all the athletes who have already competed and medaled! We’re continuing to cheer on the athletes and love seeing the joyful, proud, and emotional reactions of the families as they watch their beloved sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers strive for greatness.”
Last week, GoFundMe revealed more than $750,000 has been raised for athletes’ training and traveling costs. Solomon at the time shared:
“More and more, athletes and sports teams—from Little League players on up to world-class champions—rely on GoFundMe to rally their communities for support. This easy way to raise funds helps athletes of all ages and abilities to keep their focus on training and competing. With the world turning its eyes to Rio, we’re inspired by the thousands of GoFundMe donors supporting these athletes as they compete and work to make their dreams come true.”
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