Getty Image / Mike Lawrie
Many think the life of the average Team USA Olympian is a pretty good one, with tons of sponsors and cash coming in. But, Team USA discus thrower Veronica Fraley is yet another example of that simply not being true.
Fraley is set to compete in Paris starting on Friday in the discus and will try to bring home a medal for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics. But, she’s got something else on her mind, as she is short on rent that is partially subsidized by Vanderbilt, where she competes.
She tweeted out that she was short on rent money on Thursday from Paris, and taking offense to the fact that while she’s an Olympian, the rent of a Vanderbilt football player is fully covered while hers is not.
I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent 😒 my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything 😂) enough to buy new cars and houses 👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾
— Veronica™⚓️ (@vmfraley) August 1, 2024
Later, the reigning NCAA Champion claimed her issue was not with Vanderbilt proper, but instead with the school’s NIL boosters prioritizing football.
Thanks for the supporting messages but I want to clarify my irritation isn’t with the school itself, mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I’m WORTH as a collegiate athlete such as NIL which favors popularity over performance. that’s all I’m sayin. Wish me luck tm! https://t.co/ghiu6DdDI3
— Veronica™⚓️ (@vmfraley) August 1, 2024
As far as Veronica Fraley being able to pay rent, both rapper and Team USA superfan Flavor Flav and founder of Reddit and husband of Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, immediately stepped on Twitter to make it known she would be covered.
I gotchu,,, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW,,, and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO,!!!
— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) August 1, 2024
C'mon now! I'll split it with @flavorfav
— Alexis Ohanian 🇦🇲 (@alexisohanian) August 1, 2024
While we don’t know how much money Flav, who is also financially supporting US Women’s Water Polo, sent, Ohanian made his Venmo transaction public.
— Alexis Ohanian 🇦🇲 (@alexisohanian) August 1, 2024
While Veronica Fraley has an uphill battle to medal, she should make the finals in the event. It will probably take a throw of around 70 meters to get on the medal stand, and her career best is a little over 67 meters. That puts her well within the top twelve this year, however.
I’m sure she’s happy to have one less thing to worry about, as her rent has been more than paid.