It’s amazing what can happen, when all of your other worries are washed away. When you can simply focus on your job, on playing and winning beach volleyball matches. When you don’t need to worry about the financial stress of how you’re going to pay for a staggeringly long trip to Sochi, then a chartered flight to Ostrava, for food during those events and rent back home in between them.
It’s amazing what can happen when your mental focus can remain exclusively on what it should be on: Chasing Gold medals for the United States of America.
Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes played in their 100th event as a team last weekend, in Sochi, Russia. Because of Chasing Gold, and the incredible donors and sponsors we’ve received thus far, they needn’t worry about the cost of getting there. They didn’t need to worry about credit cards and rent and food and travel.
They could just play beach volleyball.
And when that was their only focus, they became the best team on the planet, winning their first tournament as a team, at a combined 49 years old. They’re the youngest American team to ever win an FIVB tournament, and the youngest to all but seal up an Olympic berth in the Tokyo Games, pending what happens in Ostrava this weekend.
Now, we understand there is a fine line between correlation and causation. Chasing Gold knows, all too well, that it was not the cause of this gold medal. Claes and Sponcil and coach Jordan Cheng, and the thousands of hours and reps and film study they’ve put into this sport, are the cause.
But, as Cheng said, “Chasing Gold has been such a relief for us. Really has helped us keep our eyes focused on volleyball without all the stress and worry of penny pinching every single thing.”
When the mental side of this sport is freed up, it enhances the physical. It allows our players to Chase Gold with complete and total financial freedom.
It allows them to win gold.
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Chasing Gold needs your help. Already, we’ve seen what can happen when American athletes are relieved of the financial burden of representing the United States. They’re thriving, performing better than they ever have. If you know of any companies, corporations, or individuals who are interested in helping American Olympians, in doing so while getting a tax break, who have a little extra in their marketing or philanthropy budget, we’d love it if you put us in touch with them. Thank you to all of you who have donated thus far!
