Donations pour in to fly Minnesota olympic gymnasts to Tokyo in first class
More than $25,000 has been raised to help a trio of Minnesota gymnasts travel comfortably to Tokyo for the upcoming summer Olympics.
Minnesota is home to three members of the USA gymnastics teams competing in Tokyo. Shane Wiskus, the former Gopher from Spring Park, will represent the men's gymnastics team, while St. Paul's Sunisa Lee and Isanti's Grace McCallum are members of the women's team.
The GoFundMe that was launched by Maple Plain-based North Shore Gymnastics was hoping to raise $25,000 so the trio could travel in "first class seats on the longest segment of their flight to Tokyo."
"We are trying to make our athletes as comfortable as possible so they can get proper sleep going into their most important competition of their lives," the fundraiser campaign states. "Since this won't be a normal Olympic experience we are trying to provide them the best experience and help them perform at their best!"
Airline tickets and travel accommodations are paid for the United States Olympic Committee, but not first class tickets – which would be ideal on a 15-plus-hour flight from MSP Airport to Tokyo.
Minnesotans to watch at the Olympics:
- Bowe Becker - swimming - 4x100m freestyle relay
- Kyra Condie - sport climbing
- Lara Dallman-Weiss - sailing
- Mason Ferlic - track & field - steeplechase
- Joe Klecker - track & field - 10,000 meters
- Sunisa Lee - gymnastics
- Grace McCallum - gymnastics
- Payton Otterdahl - track & field - shot put
- Regan Smith - swimming
- Gable Steveson - wrestling
- Patrick Sunderman - rifle shooting
- Jordan Thompson - volleyball
- Alise Willoughby - BMX racing
- Shane Wiskus - gymnastics
The opening ceremony in Tokyo is Friday, July 23.
