As the tapestry unfolds
As the tapestry unfolds, the great ruler of the sky flaps its majestic wings. Such is its prodigious power and engineering that it rides the wind currents to blaze its way through the heavens. A twist of the wing tip and this imposing sultan accelerates at mind-boggling speeds. How does 50km/h at migratory speeds sound to you? As it surveys the scene below it, the golden African grass dances to the aria played by the wind currents. Today the breeze knows no limits and the African vista sways wildly. This is the primal continent and there is unending beauty as far as the eye can see. The eagle eye is aptly named as our soaring predators can see a rabbit 3.2km away. As it surveys the landscape, a solitary creature navigates the golden carpet.
Will the sky captain swivel its wingtip and descend to apprehend its prey? Not today, for the creature possesses human form and the eagle’s one-inch brain knows enough to stay away. Nature’s invisible code is far more sophisticated than our best attempt at silicon chips and accelerating electrons. With a mighty injection of kinetic drive, the eagle turns and soars away into the wild blue yonder. The man glances at the impressive bird as it speeds away and then returns his gaze to the approaching landscape.
His eyes are steady and his breathing while deep is rhythmic and easy. The intense African sun shows no mercy as his skin glistens. The human machinery has been genetically engineered to become stronger the more you use and push it to its limits. And this was one of the finest examples. The Purkinje fibres and cardiac machinery synchronised perfectly while the arms and legs pumped rhythmically. While slower than a migratory eagle, he moved quickly. The geography would indicate this to be the East African highlands.
Home to the finest long distance runners in the world. But why do they compete? Why does anybody compete? Is to become rich? Will an Olympic gold medal pave your way to wealth? Securing an Olympic bid is no easy feat. This past year 14,000 athletes earned that honour with 11,000 competing at the Summer Olympics and 3,000 at the Winter Games. It is an exclusive club but doesn’t always translate into a rewarding payday. Olympic athletes struggle to piece together an income at the best of times. They rely on stipends, prize money, sponsorship and crowd funding to support their dreams.
Given the demands of training and travel it is almost impossible to hold down a full time job and keep in mind the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics necessitated an extra year of added expenses for summer athletes. When polled, 59% of US Olympic hopefuls earned less than $25,000 during the year of their respective Olympics.
The Covid pandemic wreaked havoc on those relying on sponsorship and prize money as many competitions were cancelled. A quarter of athletes surveyed relied on employment unrelated to their sport. How do they make money? The International Olympic Committee, the games organising body does not offer any financial reward for winning medals but many countries do. Scanning the list, the country that offers the most lucrative reward for winning a gold medal is Singapore.
For a gold, one million Singaporean dollars, which equates to $750,000 will be deposited into your account. That’s some serious money. Medallists from the next two countries, Kazakhstan and Malaysia earn $250,000 for a gold. The US gold medal bonus ranks ninth in the world at $37,500. What about sponsorship deals? The upper echelons of athletes have companies willing to employ their likeness to market and promote products through individual deals. For those household Olympic names that dominate headlines, the figures can run into millions of dollars.
Though the exact monetary value of sponsorship deals are often not disclosed, in 2013 Reuters reported that sprint champion Usain Bolt earned $10 million a year from Puma for each year he continued to compete. Forbes estimated in 2016 that Bolt earned $33 million for a 12-month period.
A marketable athlete like US gymnast Simone Biles earns at least $5 million a year in sponsorship deals with mega companies like Facebook and Visa amongst others. A loosening of the marketing rules allows competitors to thank personal sponsors, appear in ads for sponsors and receive congratulatory messages from them, without mentioning or displaying the Olympic logo: all aspects that were previously banned. So for the select few, an Olympic gold can be a pathway to immense fortune. For others there needs to be other motivation. I recall watching a video of an Olympic athlete who had won a silver medal at the Rio Games.
When asked if she would train for the next Games to try to better her silver and win gold she replied, “I’ll have to ask myself whether I want to be broke for the next four years or whether I want to carry on with my life.” That’s a harrowing thought.
But why do they do it? The love of the sport provides a lifelong obsession. Remember when long after sunset we refused to get into the house when playing football? The satisfaction of bettering yourself as a result of your hard work. And surely for an athlete there can be no greater honour than representing your country. For your victory is not only for yourself but millions of others. Surely that’s got to stimulate one’s hypothalamus and limbic cortex. Those are the brains pleasure and happiness centres respectively. Excuse me, I’ve got to do some limbic cortex work myself.