U.S. Olympian Struggling with Rent Gets Help from Flavor Flav, Alexis Ohanian
Rap legend Flavor Flav and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian teamed up to cover track star Veronica Fraley's rent just hours before her Paris 2024 debut.
In a remarkable act of kindness, rap legend Flavor Flav and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian stepped in to help U.S. Olympic track and field athlete Veronica Fraley just hours before her big debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Fraley, the 2024 NCAA discus champion and a Vanderbilt student, took to X to express her financial distress ahead of Paris 2024. She wrote on the app, "I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses."
After posting the message on X, Flav swiftly offered to cover her rent, prompting Ohanian, who's married to tennis legend Serena Williams, to match his support, splitting the cost and highlighting the power of community in high-stakes moments.
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“I gotchu... DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW... and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO,!!!” Flav wrote on X.
Fraley's frustration extends beyond her immediate financial struggles to broader issues with the NCAA's NIL (name, image, and likeness) rules. She expressed concern that these rules, which allow athletes to earn compensation based on their popularity rather than performance, disadvantage athletes like herself. “My irritation isn’t with the school itself,” she stated on X. “It’s with the rules that bar me from making the amount I’m WORTH as a collegiate athlete.”
On August 2, Fraley shared an email validation on her Instagram story indicating that her rent had been paid. She captioned the image with the following statement: "Rent is officially paid (in case anyone was wondering).”
Ohanian confirmed he covered $7,760, attributed to his company, Seven Seven Six. Flavor Flav’s rep confirmed he covered Fraley’s rent, but the amount remains undisclosed. Fraley expressed her gratitude to the duo on X, writing, "THANK YOU & @FlavorFlav SO MUCH this makes every difference in the WORLD & I hope to represent team USA well this week."
"This the power of community... my girl @vmfraley had 7000 people see her tweet, only 41 people “liked” it, only 5 people commented, only 1 tagged me and @alexisohanian," Flav posted on X. "Now that tweet been seen by 10 MILLION people, her rent paid off for the year, and people gots her back!"
The Olympian has started a GoFundMe campaign to provide ongoing support for her track and field career after the Paris Summer Games. In the campaign bio, she states that she is an athlete at 2024 Paris Olympics and qualified twice for the women’s discus event at the World Championships. She took to X to announce a request for financial assistance to prepare for the upcoming 2025 World Championships in Japan and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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“As I work to make the 2025 World Championships in Japan, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, you can support my track and field journey as I start my professional athletic career and continue to represent team USA!”
Flav's support of Fraley enhances his reputation during the Summer Olympics. Before the Games, he signed a five-year deal to be the official cheerleader for U.S. water polo teams, pledging financial support and participation in various events throughout Paris 2024.
