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Lauren Brzozowski of Wyckoff says she’s been working toward her goal of becoming an Olympic athlete for “as long as she can remember.”
Brzozowski pursued an incredibly successful athletic career with track in high school before earning a spot on the D1 track team at Elon University before earning the largest international athlete scholarship offered by Loughborough University.
The scholarship would allow Brzozowski to represent the university — which is one of three International Olympic Hubs and the UK’s top-rated track program — as a member of the national First Team.
Brzozowski was taking the competition by storm with each and every sprint when the COVID-19 crisis came along and brought things to a grinding halt.
After making the difficult decision to fly home to spend time with her family, Brzozowski continued to train, and as track meets continued to get canceled beneath her feet, she was presented with a brand new opportunity.
“After receiving an invitation to join Team USA as a development bobsled pilot, I graciously traded by track spikes for ice spikes and once again packaged my life into a bag and headed to Lake Placid to learn an entirely new sport, in an entirely new place, during a period that was entirely shrouded in uncertainty,” Brzozowski writes on a GoFundMe she launched to support the costs associated with bobsledding, which she says is “one of the most expensive sports in the world.”
“Our sleds, helmets, runners, gloves, spikes, and all other forms of equipment must be self-funded for which will cost most athletes tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase,” Brzozowski writes.
More than $6,400 had been raised as of Wednesday on the campaign since its creation on Oct. 8.
Meanwhile, fans can support Brzozowski by following her on Instagram or becoming a monthly contributor on Patreon, where she is dubbed “Cool Runnings 2.0” and provides exclusive member content.
“Thank you all so much for everything you’ve done for me, no matter how small,” Brzozowski writes on the fundraiser. “Every message I get, every time someone shares a video of mine, every like, and every comment means the world to me and is what keeps me going; knowing that you’re all there with me whether in the gym or on the track.”
Click here to view/donate to ‘Team Zozzy - Cool Runnings 2.0 - Team USA Bobsled’ on GoFundMe.
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