1. Maya Nakanishi
Sport: Track and fieldPosed nude for calendarA paralympian, it wasn’t an easy task for Nakanishi to get enough funds for competing at the London Games. The athlete had herself clicked in the buff for a calendar to raise $29000 for the competition-level prosthetics needed for the sporting event. The Japanese athlete, one of the main title contenders in the 100m sprint, 200m sprint, and long jump, sold her nude calendar through her own website and an e-commerce website.
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2. Nick Symmonds
Sport: 800-meter runnerSold skin for advertsThe American athlete used the social media for funding his Olympic dream. In January this year, he auctioned his left shoulder online, and has been wearing the temporary tattoo of the winning bidder on his shoulder. Marketing company Hanson Dodge Creative decided to pay $11,100 for procuring rights to Symmonds’ piece of skin to display their logo and Twitter handle. However, while the tattoo has been visible while he trains, Symmonds will have to cover it up with a tape during the Olympics, because of the stringent advertising rules of the International Olympic Committee.
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3. Richard Buck
Sport: 400m runnerWorked at supermarket2011 ended on a bitter note for this Olympic hopeful as UK Athletics stopped his funding in October. Left in the lurch and with a task to collect around 20,000 pounds, the sprinter took to working in a Tesco supermarket and juggled work with a rigorous training schedule. However, he didn’t have to struggle for long as 2012 brought good news and he received 10,000 pounds from a 90-year-old donor.
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4. Logan Campbell
Sport: TaekwondoOpened a brothelNow this is truly, an Olympian feat of imagination. In order to play at the London Games, New Zealander Logan Campbell opened a brothel along with a friend in Auckland in 2009, in order to raise $300,000 and ease the burden on his parents. However, his business plans hit a roadblock when the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) threatened legal action against him as his working style was not in accordance with the principles of Olympics. “Your open solicitation of ‘clients’ for your ‘business’ while using the Olympic or Olympian connection must cease immediately, or the NZOC will be forced to consider taking legal action against you,” he was told. But the athlete came out in defence of his actions, saying he was not forcing anyone to come to his brothel. But Logan ultimately had to let go of his novel business idea and the brothel was sold in 2010.
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5. Norris Frederick
Sport: Long jumpAuctioned celeb datesThe American athlete organized a celebrity date auction to fund his Olympic trip. Those interested could bid for a date either with Norris, or with basketball players Isaiah Thomas and Spencer Hawes, football player Roy Lewis, and several members of the Seattle Mist lingerie football team.