Two-time Olympian judoka Nick Delpopolo has given his followers a glimpse into the struggles of Olympic-level judo competitors via a plea for help on his social media.
I am currently 9 spots away from being qualified for the Olympics. I am receiving zero funding from USA Judo for my upcoming Olympic qualifying tournaments in Israel, France and Germany or any other time during this year. These first 3 tournaments and training camps will cost in excess of 10 thousand dollars.
Please consider making a donation on my website www.NickDelpopolo.us or direct via PayPal using this link: Www.paypal.me/nickdelpopolo (link in bio)
For those wanting a tax deduction I can provide a 501c3 to donate through. (Please contact @lynnthursby)
The lack of funding from @usajudoofficialis greatly hampering the Americans ability to qualify for the Olympic Games.
I rely heavily on donations from the Judo community and every dollar donated goes a long way and is greatly appreciated.
Yours in Judo,
Nick Delpopolo
2x Olympian
Delpopolo’s struggles as an Olympic-level judoka aren’t unique — in 2016, Travis Stevens spoke about all the things he has to do to make ends meet, though at the time, he said that he was receiving at least some money from USA Judo.
USA Judo is the official governing organization for judo in the United States. It is a nonprofit and states the following as its mission: “As the National Governing Body (NGB) and member of the US Olympic Committee we enable all United States athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence in domestic and international judo competition, and the promotion and growth of the sport of Judo in the United States.”
Those wishing to donate to Delpopolo can do so here.
At the time of this post’s publication, USA Judo hadn’t responded to Delpopolo’s claim.
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