Becoming the first American man to win an Olympic medal in luge has opened up a world of possibilities for Chris Mazdzer.
“There are some endorsement deals coming my way,” the silver medalist told Cheddar. “This has completely changed my life. It hasn’t changed who I am, but it changes what I can do.”
Mazdzer points out that Olympic athletes can work long and hard without ever seeing much financial rewards. He, for example, had been training for 21 years, juggling practice with bartending and working weddings just to make ends meet.
He says, “Some athletes work two, three jobs, just to keep doing what they love doing.”
To raise awareness, Mazdzer donated $5,000 -- about a third of his winnings -- to athlete-mentoring organization Classroom Champions. He’s also raised over $35,000 more in matched contributions.
He’s also planning for a future after sports.
“I want to go into financial planning, but I also want to go into...life fulfillment planning,” he said. “If you can manage how you view money and if you can manage how you feel about what you’re trying to do with your life…then you have the chance to be completely at one with yourself.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/olympic-luger-chris-mazdzer-makes-history).
Former NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson spoke to Cheddar about tackling his childhood dream on the IndyCar circuit.
Sports trading card company Topps is combining with a special purposes acquisition company in a deal valued at $1.3 billion and seeking a public listing. Topps Co.
Major League Baseball has moved the All-Star Game from Atlanta’s Truist Park, a response to Georgia enacting a new law last month restricting voting rights.
Chris Marinak, Major League Baseball's chief operations and strategy officer, talked to Cheddar about health protocols for the 2021 season to avoid much of the toll COVID-19 took on the league last season.
David Kaval, president of the Oakland Athletics, talked to Cheddar about accepting bitcoin as payment for suites during baseball games at RingCentral Coliseum.
American Cornhole League co-founder and commissioner Stacey Moore spoke to Cheddar about partnering with sports betting giant DraftKings and touted the players in one of the newer televised sports to gain in popularity.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas spoke to Cheddar about the need for aspiring athletes to address both their mental and physical health and her partnership with Smoothie King.
Despite COVID-19, sports betting has skyrocketed. In January, Americans spent approximately $4 billion on sports wagering according to the American Gaming Association.
Child Benefit, Meghan and Harry Bombshells & Eminem vs. Gen Z
