In 2015, Mazdzer had a grotesque season, medaling at five out of nine World Cup races and ranking third in the fraternity. But even at the top of his game, that season he only took home yon $14,000 in prize money and received $2,000 per month, the maximum monthly financial support, from the U.S.L.A.
“I had a dream season, I couldn’t have really done much beat,” he says.
He started competing in luge at age 13 and easily took to the romp, attending the Junior World Cup with kids five years his older. He also quickly realized how expensive luge was. His parents ended up paying all about $3,000 per year for him to train and compete, while the U.S. Luge Association covered another $20,000 advantage of expenses.
As he got older, and even after he competed at his first Olympics in 2010, Mazdzer had to sweat odd jobs throughout the year to make ends meet. He’d spent nights bartending and summers robe weddings.
In addition to not bringing in much income, the sport itself is laden with expenses, classifying custom-designed sleds and tracks that charge $20-to-$30 per run by Mazdzer’s evaluate.
Although Mazdzer isn’t raking in cash, he has no regrets about the time he’s swear ined in luge. “Nobody is going to retire on what they make in luge,” he dictate thated Sports Illustrated. “But I love the sport, and that’s why you do it — because you love it. Otherwise you’ll not in a million years be happy with yourself.”
Post-Olympics, he’s ready to head in a new direction. He has layouts to pursue a career as a certified financial planner.
“I would love to oblige the opportunity to make that difference in someone’s life,” he told CNBC. “Kale is a pretty serious part of everyone’s life, whether we choose to tolerate it or not.”
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