WKSU News: Families looking for Olympic coin

Tuesday, July 24, 2012 Families looking for Olympic coin Two local Olympic families raising funds to make it to London by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA and M.L. SCHULTZE	Reporter Kabir Bhatia

Elyria Mayor Holly Brinda proclaims Tianna Madison Day as proud parents Joann and Robert Madison look on.

Courtesy of Kabir Bhatia

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Training for the Olympics can stretch an athlete's mind and body to their limits. But as WKSU's Kabir Bhatia reports, travelling to the Olympics can be just as taxing on an athlete's family.

Families looking for Olympic coin

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Joann Madison has spent most of this century following her daughter's exploits in track and field. The bank manager from Elyria has been from New Mexico to Moscow to Paris with her family following Tianna, a sprinter on the U.S. Olympic team.

"We've spent about $100,000 supporting our daughter, that's why we need some support here!"

That covers more than a decade of trips, when the biggest problem was Tianna's occasional junk food cravings.

The Madisons are in the same boat as Terrell Gausha's family. The boxer from Cleveland is already in London,

but his aunt, stepdad and mother, Teretha Jones, are still here.

“What we’re trying to do is to raise enough money so we have a place to stay, and to go to the events and everything like that. Our airplane fare, passports, everything like that.”

Fundraising began right away
Jones says she's held fundraisers almost weekly since she learned Terrell had qualified for the Olympics. Meanwhile, Tianna Madison’s family has peppered EBay with memorabilia, and her father’s company is holding a fifty-fifty raffle. That's just to cover airfare and hotels, which Mrs. Madison creatively bargained for.

“The accommodations were priced double-occupancy. Well, we really talked them into a quad occupancy. I told them the story, I connected with them, we laughed, we chit-chatted together… so they were very accommodating. So they agreed to a quad occupancy, which saved us quite a bit. So I’m thinking the London trip, even with the substantial savings on the hotel, would be about $18,000.”

Madison says the U.S. Olympic committee has been helpful, as a travel agency -- suggesting hotels and providing itineraries -- but finances are a family affair.

Worth it
And most families are happy to raise the money, according to Robert K. Barney, acting director of the International Center for Olympic Studies at the University of Western Ontario.

“I’ve heard of run-a-thons and bake sales and car washes and candy bar sales and so on… traditional ways of fundraising associated with families. I don’t think you’d get any family members to say it wasn’t worth it. In the end, they have had both the emotional and physical experiences along the way of seeing the achievements of their offspring. Most of will say, ‘It’s the greatest experience in my life’.”

Still searching for Tickets
Seeing that achievement up close – not just on television – requires tickets, which Joann Madison says even the Olympic committee can't help with.

“We don’t have tickets yet. It’s amazing, the cost of the Olympic ticket. Just amazing. The tickets are priced from 200 dollars a ticket to one-thousand dollars a ticket. But we’re just trying to get into the stadium at this point.”

Each Olympian receives two tickets, usually slated for a coach and one family member.

Terrell Gausha’s are spoken for, but his sister and mother plan to be in London.
Tianna Madison will be joined by her husband, whom she credits with helping her bounce back after a career-threatening knee injury in 2008.

NORTHEAST OHIOANS IN THE OLYMPICS (INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY JASEN SOKOL)

Terrell Gausha

Boxing, 75 kg

Qualified for Olympics

Justin Lester

Greco-Roman Wrestling, 66 kg

Qualified for Olympics

Tianna Madison

Track and Field, 100m

Qualified for Olympics

Bridget Franek

Track and Field, 3000m Steeplechase

Qualified for Olympics

Lebron James

Men’s Basketball

Selected for Olympics

Kibwe Johnson

Track and Field, Hammer Throw

Qualified for Olympics

Lee Kiefer

Fencing, Foil

Qualified for Olympics

Alfred “A.G.” Kruger

Track and Field, Hammer Throw

Qualified for Olympics

Holley Mangold

Weightlifting, Women’s superheavyweight (+75 kg)

Qualified for Olympics

Margot Shumway

Rowing, Women’s double sculls

Qualified for Olympics

Anderson Varejao (Brazil)

Men’s Basketball

Selected for Olympic Team

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