Olympic gold and silver medal gymnast Aly Raisman had a rockstar week in Rio, and never seemed anything less than calm, cool, and collected on the floor, beam, and bars. But her parents? That’s a whole other story. And people have noticed.
Footage of Raisman’s family watching her from the audience went viral last week, as their intense nerves cause them to squirm uncontrollably and clutch at each other in their seats in the stands. (Meanwhile, veteran Olympian Raisman executed one flawless routine after another.)
One concerned supporter of team captain Raisman — and her parents Ricky and Lynn — has decided it’s time to give the gymnast’s devoted parents a bit of well-earned downtime.
“We’ve seen their enthusiasm, stress, and commitment — now they deserve some time to relax and unwind,” writes Berkley Rothmeier in a new GoFundMe campaign launched to get Raisman’s parents a spa day. The fundraising goal is $500; the page has already hit $100 in donations. Rothmeier, who told TODAY that she was previously involved in sports herself, just wants to give the family a chance to come down from the visibly nerve-wracking experience of Rio.
“So often athletes, coaches, and the rest of their support systems are so stoic we forget just how hard they work and how special they are,” Rothmeier said.
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