Olympic Medal-Winning Swimmer Admits She ‘Can Barely Make Rent’: ‘The Hype Fizzles Out’

Olympic swimmer Daniella Ramirez has admitted that she can "barely make rent" with the money she earns from her career as a professional athlete—despite walking away from the 2024 Paris Games with a silver medal.

The 24-year-old, who was a member of the artistic swimming squad that took second place in the synchronized team event at the most recent Summer Olympics, opened up about her financial struggles in a tongue-in-cheek TikTok video.

Ramirez lifted the lid on the harsh realities of life as a professional athlete, admitting that her sporting career barely brings in enough money to cover the lease on her California apartment.

In the clip, the swimmer can be seen perched on her bed, while a text overlay reads: "Me when I randomly remember that I have an Olympic silver medal but can barely make rent."

To emphasize her point, she then walked out of her bedroom and grabbed her medal, which is still sitting in its presentation box, showing it off to the camera.

In her caption, Ramirez noted that, while she still loves her job, she wanted to share the most brutal aspect of it so that anyone who thinks Olympians earn a fortune can adjust their mindset.

"Mostly jokes but seriously, for anyone who thinks being an Olympian means you're making lots of money. That's not true for most sports," she wrote.

The athlete went on to point out that, behind almost every successful Olympian is an army of people who have helped them reach their goals—as well as the incredible efforts they themselves have put in to finance their dream of competing at the prestigious event.

"Many if us take a second job or rely on parents help us chase our dreams," she said.

Ramirez added that even medaling at the Olympic Games is no guarantee of a lucrative future income, particularly when excitement about the event dies down.

"And even when you make it there, especially if you're not a popular sport, the hype fizzles out and you're left to make it happen again," she continued.

"I LOVE MY JOB, but it takes a lot more than what you see on social media or the end result at the Games. Support your local Olympians!"

Ramirez, who hails from Florida, moved to Los Angeles at age 15 in the hopes of earning a spot on Team USA, a goal she reached just a few months later, when she was named to the national squad in 2018.

That same year, she competed at the 2018 FINA Artistic Swimming World Series, where she won three silver and two bronze medals

At the 2019 Artistic Swimming World Series, she brought home two silver medals. The following year, she won one silver.

In 2021 at the same event, she garnered three gold medals and in 2022, she won nine gold medals and a bronze medal.

Ramirez was also part of the U.S. bronze-medal winning team at the 2019 Pan American Games and the silver medal-winning team at the 2023 Pan American Games.

She then helped the U.S qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics and competed in the team event, where the U.S. won a silver medal, marking their first medal in the event since 2004.

In February, the athlete revealed to the BBC that she had turned her hand to social media influencing in a bid to supplement her income, noting in a follow-up interview with Fortune that she earns five times as much from her online career than she does from artistic swimming.

However, she noted that not everyone is fortunate enough to have the option of taking on a side hustle, particularly when training for the Olympics takes up so much time in the day.

"I get just enough to cover my rent [for] a month," she told the BBC of the money she earns from swimming. "It’s not enough to be a career, and this is a full-time job.

"My primary job right now—the thing that makes the most money—is definitely TikTok, Instagram, and all my social media handles. You can do things on your own time, on your own schedule, make ends meet, and get to do your sport full-time."

Ramirez isn't the first Olympic star to open up about their financial hardships. Diver Greg Louganis previously revealed that he was forced to sell of several of his medals in order to fund his relocation from the U.S. to Panama.

The legendary diver, 66, who auctioned off three of his Olympic medals shortly before moving to Panama in August, recently returned to his home country in order to celebrate the holiday season with his loved ones, a move he opened up about in a candid Instagram video.

Addressing his fans and followers, Louganis was full of joy about being able to spend time with his father, sisters, and brother in Hawaii—but admitted he was excited to return to his new home, where he said he hopes to remain for a long period of time.

“My biological father lives here. It’s been a great visit," he said in a video shared on Dec. 29, adding that one of his favorite experiences away from his family was meeting some "really wonderful people" who were part of an LGBTQ hiking group.

But while he had a wonderful visit, the diver confessed that he was ready to go back to Panama.

He noted that although his move to Panama isn't permanent—explaining that he does not currently have plans to apply for citizenship—he does hope he will be there for quite some time.

“I’m not getting a hold of attorneys and changing my citizenship or anything like that, but that’s a possibility," he shared.

The diver shocked fans in August when he revealed he would be ditching his longtime home in the U.S., while also candidly opening up about his financial woes.

In a previous Facebook post about selling his medals and his home, he explained that his career had not panned out the way he had hoped, pointing the finger at his lack of "proper management" for his money struggles.

“I needed the money. If I had proper management, I might not have been in that position, but what is done is done; live and learn," he wrote.