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The baton has passed from Paris to Los Angeles as another round of the Olympic Games comes to an end. We’ve seen some breathtaking and extraordinary athletic performances.
And now the Olympians who have dominated our screens for the past few weeks are returning home to normal life. That means training. And, for some, side hustles to pump their budgets.
Training to compete in the Olympics takes dedication. For many athletes, it’s more than a full-time job — one they’re often not paid much for. There was a time when Olympians were not allowed to be professional athletes at all, but that changed in the 80s.
These days, Olympic athletes are as creative as you and me about finding extra ways to bring in some extra cash. Here are some inspirational athlete side hustles.
The women’s rugby sevens star has over 3.6 million fans on Instagram and 2.3 million on TikTok. She originally used social media as a way to promote women’s rugby, and it then became a way to support herself financially. According to The Guardian, she has deals with all kinds of brands, including Secret, L’Oréal, and New Era. Even better? Her posts are fun, funny, and tackle topics like femininity and body image.
What we can learn: You don’t have to be an Olympian to build a profitable social media profile. Think about what your niche is — ideally, something that is relevant to others, but stays true to your passions and who you are.
That said, we can’t all be social media influencers. If you have know-how or marketing skills, consider earning extra cash by helping other people manage their social media presence.
Noah Lyles: Spotify rapper and real estate investor
The world’s fastest man, Noah Lyles makes cash through endorsements, such as his deal with Adidas. He has invested some of that cash in real estate, according to Essentially Sports. Oh, and he’s also a rapper on Spotify.
What we can learn: If you have cash, you could use investments to turn it into a passive income stream. That might take the form of real estate, but you could also open a brokerage account and put your money to work in the stock market.
Maggie Steffens: Water polo side business
The three-time water polo gold medalist spoke recently on Instagram about the challenges she and her fellow athletes face in staying afloat financially. “Many of my teammates aren’t just badass champions, but also teachers, business owners, coaches, physicians assistants, and more.” she wrote. “Some may not know this, but most Olympians need a 2nd (or 3rd) job to support chasing the dream (myself included!)”
Among other side hustles, Steffens co-founded a company called 6-8 Sports, which uses advanced data analytics to help developing athletes understand their strengths and weaknesses.
What we can learn: Steffens was able to riff off her success in water polo and co-found a related business. That goes for all kinds of side hustles. If you’re passionate about jogging, you’re on the inside track to know what products and services other joggers might use. If you work in graphic design, you might start a side hustle making logos or helping companies develop their presentations.
Maher, Lyles, and Steffens are by no means alone. Silver medalist in artistic swimming Daniella Ramirez told the BBC that she gets some cash from the United States Olympic Committee. She supplements it with income from social media. And according to Euronews, boxer Morelle McCane worked as a birthday party clown, a mailroom worker, and other flexible jobs to fund her athletic career.
Bottom line
It takes drive to be an Olympic athlete, whether you come home with a medal or not. But sometimes, faced with higher living costs and economic uncertainty, it also takes a lot of drive for many of us to stay financially stable. The biggest thing we can learn from these athletes is to be creative and determined when it comes to earning extra money.
If you’re not making ends meet or struggling to meet your savings and investment goals, taking on a second job might make a difference. After all, if Ilona Maher can train, develop her sport, and still devote as much as six hours a day to her social media channels, perhaps we could all hustle a little more.
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