Before USA TODAY Sports published her story in July, Scott had raised $190 in two months on the crowdfunding site gofundme.com. By August, she had raised $48,425, with 689 people donating. Many sent $5, some sent several thousand dollars. Donations came from as far away as Norway and as close as her hometown of Springfield, Mo.
There were numerous donations from military members who posted comments such as, "The honor I feel every time I put on my country's uniform is more than I could ever explain. You deserve to experience that feeling representing our country in sport." Others sent messages of support: "I saw you in the paper, wanted to help a little. Give 'em hell" and "Never give up!"
"It saved my career without a doubt," Scott says. "Obviously I was able to continue to skate and pay rent, buy healthy food and survive. ... I feel like I have this huge family that actually cares about me and what I want to do and accomplish. Saying thank you wouldn't be enough. My dad told me the best way to thank them is making the Olympic team and showing them it was worth the money they spent on me."
Thanks to the support from 689 family members she will never meet, her father, Craig, will be able to see her compete for the first time in two years.
Mainly the donations allowed Scott to focus on training. When her stipend was cut to $600, she didn't think that would be possible, given her rent is $500, car payment is $350 and she spends $50 a week on gas, going to training six days a week. When she talked about filling out the food stamps application this summer, she had tears in her eyes.
When the funding arrived, Scott didn't have to follow through on the application and she was able to quit her part-time job. The financial support provided a huge emotional relief, which was evident in her performance on the ice.
