Link: U.S. Olympic gold medalist track star went from $200,000-a-year sponsorship to $12-an-hour internship

Paris 2024 Olympic headlines may suggest all medalists are set for life, but Olympic fame can be fleeting—just ask Lauryn Williams.

At 20, Williams was earning $200,000 a year, but by 30, she was interning for $12 an hour. Despite being the first American woman to medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, her post-Olympic opportunities were scarce.

“There’s this misconception that because I’m the first to do this thing—and still no one else has done it—that I’m booked all year long for speaking engagements,” Williams told CNBC. “I get things here or there, but I can’t make a living from it.”

Though Williams made sporting history, she had to start over. In 2013, she began interning at Briaud Financial Advisors, feeling insecure about her late start in the workforce.

Her second act was inspired by poor financial advice. “I enrolled in CFP coursework blindly, simply because I wanted to better understand finances for myself,” she said.

Now 40, she’s a CFP Board Ambassador, helping athletes make smart money decisions through her firm Worth Winning. “Most athletes, especially those not in ‘premiere’ sports, need a plan B,” Williams emphasizes.

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