This week, Ryan and Bridget are answering a question about why athletes get paid what they do. In this bonus mini-episode of “Million Bazillion,” Bridget and Ryan hear from Colin Hufman, who competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics with the U.S. curling team. Curling is a sport that’s played on ice, in which players slide granite stones toward a target area. We’ll learn about Colin’s experience earning income as an Olympic athlete, including payments for medals, monthly stipends and promotional endorsements. The hosts realize that making a living as an Olympian involves a lot more than just training and competing in sports.

Tips for grownups listening to “Million Bazillion” with kids

Money Talks

After you listen to the episode, here are some questions you can ask your kid listener to see how much they learned about Olympic athletes and their pay.

1. Did it surprise you to hear that some Olympic athletes don’t make much money just from competing in their sport?

2. Do you think Olympic athletes get paid fairly for their work?

3. Why do people want to compete in the Olympics if they don’t earn that much money from competing?

4. If you were playing a team sport, would you split your income with the team? Why?

Tip Jar

• If you want to dig more into how athletes fund their journey to the Olympics Games, check out this video from CNBC.

• To learn more about the history of how U.S. Olympic athletes pushed for financial compensation, take a look at this video from Hearst Television.

• For a breakdown of the highest paid athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics, read this article from Forbes.

• Want to hear more about how much other countries pay their Olympic medalists compared to the U.S.? Take a peek at this video by Forbes.