Do you get paid to bobsled?

Nope. The short answer to a question I often get asked. As an amateur sport, we are not professional and therefore do not make a salary like professional athletes. We do have the opportunity to earn stipends from the USOC, however, those stipends can be cut off at any time (like they were after the Olympics), and those stipends are not much- especially considering how much we as athletes eat (I probably spend the majority of my money on food lol). There is also the chance to win some prize money, but again, not enough to support even having house. The additional problem with these types of funds is the fact that 1/2 of it ends up going to taxes- so then you only end up with half of your meager earnings anyway. Income from bobsled is dependent on our ability to find sponsors, which at the moment is very difficult in this struggling economy. Unfortunately, I do not have the luxaury of being a full-time athlete like professional athletes, so I have to work- small jobs usually, a personal trainer, a substitute teacher, and even this summer I'm hoping to get a job in a sandwich shop- Did I mention I'm a bronze medalist? So no, the majority of Olympic athletes are not living the high life- ballin' with diamonds swinging from their necks- but we continue to compete (and even train harder than the professionals who do get paid) because we love our sports. Times are tough even for elite level athletes, so for me- that means many long days in hopes of continuing to compete for my country. GO USA!