There are talented athletes then there are Olympians. We asked the NBC 5 Responds team to find out what it costs to raise an Olympian. What financial sacrifices do families make early on?
We asked the NBC 5 Responds team to find out what it takes to raise an Olympian. What financial commitments do families make early on?
We reached out to families of local athletes. Their answers weren’t about the numbers.
EARLY INTEREST
During her summer break from school, 12-year-old Taryn Jenkins of Colleyville is putting in work.
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“I like getting stronger and more consistent,” Taryn said.
Many weekdays, the rising 7th grader plays basketball and works out at a conditioning youth camp. Most weeknights, Taryn trains at the track, building on skills she practiced last summer and the one before. Going back to her start at the age of four.
“She and her family came out with her older brother, Jaden, who ran for us. Taryn just tagged along at the time,” said Taryn’s longtime coach, Greg Scoggins, of the Grapevine Gazelles Track Club.
“She definitely always wanted to do what Jaden did. She would try anything. Whether it was running, long jumping, high jumping and, eventually, hurdling,” added Scoggins.
In July, Taryn travels to North Carolina and Bryan, Texas, to compete with young athletes from all over the country. Taryn’s mom and dad say they are all in – as long as Taryn is.
“We let her guide it, but once you see your kid having a little something that you're like, okay, she's starting to move up the ranks. You want to give them every advantage to be as successful as they can,” Tamara Jenkins said.
That means committing time to workouts, travel and weekend track meets.
“We don't have a life,” said Tamara Jenkins, laughing. “Saturdays, you're at a hot track meet all day.”
MAKING IT TO THE OLYMPICS
Not so long ago, Stewart Cohen and Kim Elting spent every weekend taking their girls to their sports.
“Between the two of them, we'd sometimes divide and conquer,” said Stewart Cohen. “We've stayed at every Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn.”
Their youngest daughter, Reid, played lacrosse in college. Their oldest, Teal Cohen, is on the U.S. Olympic rowing team competing in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“We're just incredibly proud of how hard she's worked and where she is right now,” said Kim Elting.
Teal Cohen, now 25 years old, started rowing in the 9th grade at the Hockaday School in Dallas.
Elting remembers Teal’s rowing coach predicting her potential at an awards ceremony early in high school.
“He said, this individual who's getting this award, should she choose to do it, she can go all the way and become an Olympic rower. He gives it to Teal,” Elting said. “Why are you telling her that now? That's crazy. Everything else is going to pale in comparison. But, you know what? Good on him for saying that and putting that in the back of her brain.”
After graduating college, Teal decided to train with the national team full-time.
“By doing that, she's in a different spot than a lot of her college classmates, a lot of her high school classmates who are now well into their careers,” said Elting. “There are absolute tradeoffs, but she loves this sport so much.”
We asked Teal’s parents: what does it take for a child to take their talents to the Olympic level?
“It has to come from the kid. She's not a kid anymore, but when she was in high school, it requires such drive and determination that can only come from here,” Elting said, pointing to her heart. “We're just on the sidelines cheering.”
Teal also played multiple sports through high school. Her parents said the right coaches were key too.
“When they were trying to get into college, having the right high school support, coaches, whether it was club or school, that might be able to open doors,” Cohen said. “It's having the right coach at the right time.”
Back at the track, Taryn Jenkins and her family say they’re realistic about a future in sports.
“I like to just take it one step at a time instead of thinking so far in the future,” Taryn said. “Think about what's going on right now.”
Tamara Jenkins points out that her daughter also loves basketball and piano, plays percussion in the school band, and is an honor student.
“She's encouraging, she's smiling, she's having fun and she's showing leadership,” Tamara Jenkins said. “That's, I think, what every parent wants, regardless of what they're involved in.”
