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Swimmer experienced Olympic burden

By MIKE DeARMOND, The Kansas City Star, 1 Augus 2004

Krayzelburg can relate to games' financial strain

Swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg once knew exactly what Overland Park's Scott Goldblatt and so many other financially struggling Olympians are going through.

An immigrant from Odessa, Ukraine, Krayzelburg left for the United States on Christmas Day 1988 with his family. He was 13.

His father, Oleg, found work as a chef at a Russian restaurant in Los Angeles. His mother, Yelena, found a job at a pharmacy. But young Lenny, who had shown promise in Odessa as a swimmer, floundered those first few years in America.

He still swam, but he dropped out of heavy training his senior year in high school and for part of his first year at Santa Monica Community College. He needed to help support himself and his family. He took a job as a lifeguard.

His father, no matter the costs, wouldn't let Lenny sit on a lifeguard's stand for long. And eventually, Krayzelburg received a scholarship to Southern California. He became a world-record holder, courted by sponsors.

And four years ago, he won individual Olympic gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter backstrokes and another as a member of the American 400-meter medley relay team.

Now Krayzelburg, headed to Athens in the 100 back despite a lingering shoulder injury that will need more surgery after the Olympics, is financially well off.

He has established the Lenny Krayzelburg Foundation, which “actually tries to teach inner-city kids about the sport of swimming,” he said.

But Krayzelburg's success has not blinded him to the financial difficulties of so many others in his sport.

He is a well-paid professional. Others, such as Goldblatt, are not-so-well-paid professionals.

“The bottom line is, obviously, it is tough,” Krayzelburg said. “You look at finalists on the Olympic trials. Not many people have a contract that are able to make a living swimming. There isn't much there.”

Article originally located at Kansas City Star