Libyan swimmer crowdfunds her way to the Summer Olympics in Rio

We’ve previously heard about individuals crowdfunding their way through school or other less noble initiatives, but it’s not often we come across world class athletes using such platforms to earn a chance to compete.

17-year-old Daniah Hagul from Libya has successfully completed a crowdfunding campaign that will see her attend the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio set to take place in August.

The young swimmer decided to launch the campaign when she realized the Libyan Swimming Federation won’t be able to cover the expenses of her trip to Rio, due to the organization’s financial limitations.

The campaign – that has since ended – ultimately collected over $7,700 in less than a month. It was hosted on GoFundMe.

Thanks to the success of the campaign, Hagul will become the first Libyan female swimmer to attend the Olympics since the revolution in 2011. This also gives Hagul an opportunity to earn Libya the country’s first ever Olympic medal.