Ahead of her Olympics debut, track and field athlete Veronica Fraley faced a pressing concern: paying her rent.

Fraley, 24, shared her plight on social media, revealing that she was struggling to cover her rent while preparing for the women’s discus throw qualification round in Paris. “I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent,” the 2024 NCAA discus champion wrote on X, criticizing her school’s financial priorities.

Her post drew immediate support from rapper Flavor Flav and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who both pledged to help. “I gotchu,,, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY,” Flav replied on X. Ohanian, married to tennis champion Serena Williams, shared a screenshot of a $7,760 Venmo payment he sent to Fraley.

A representative for Flav confirmed he paid Fraley’s rent in full, while Ohanian’s representative declined to comment. Flav expressed his support through a representative, saying he is “happy to help out those who are representing the best of us.”

Fraley’s post highlighted the financial struggles of Olympians, generating widespread sympathy. Competing for Clemson University from 2019 to 2021, Fraley finished 10th in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and is currently pursuing a second master’s degree at Vanderbilt. As a graduate student, she won a bronze medal in the discus at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

“Thanks for the supporting messages but I want to clarify my irritation isn’t with the school itself, mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I’m WORTH as a collegiate athlete,” Fraley later wrote on X, referring to NIL (name, image, and likeness) regulations.

Fraley thanked Flavor Flav and shared Ohanian’s post on X, expressing gratitude and linking to a GoFundMe campaign for further support. “After Paris, I am aiming for the 2025 World Championships and 2028 Olympics next as I begin my professional track and field career,” she wrote.