Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling for Team USA. Now, she plans to spend the majority of her prize money on a food truck for her mom.
The Houston native defeated Team Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu 4-1, becoming the first Black woman to take home the gold for USA. According to the award system Operation Gold, used by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), athletes who come in first place at the Tokyo Games receive $37,500. Silver and bronze medalists take home $22,500 and $15,000.
She now plans to use that money to invest in her mother’s dream.
During an interview with People Magazine, Mensah-Stock, 28, said her idea of purchasing her mother’s dream food truck started five years ago but became a reality after she won first place in women’s Olympic wrestling.
She recounts speaking with her mother, “So how about I buy you a food truck and you can be anywhere you want to be? [My mom] was ecstatic. She’s like, ‘Yes, I would love that.’ This is five years ago. And I just keep telling her, ‘Just hold off, mommy, please just hold off.’ ”
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She plans to give her mother $30,000 to kickstart her business.
“I made a promise to her and she loves cooking,” she said. “It’s just one of her passions. Growing up, we’d be like, ‘Ooh, mommy, you put your back into this food. She’s gonna have her little cooking business. She can cook really, really, really well—barbecue,” she added.
Mensah-Stock is grateful to be able to give back to her mother and revealed her family’s struggles leading up to her gold.
“She’s always doing back-breaking work and … I’ve just seen her struggling ever since my dad died and I don’t like seeing it,” she said.
Mensah-Stock’s father was tragically killed in a car accident while driving home from one of her matches, Black Enterprise reported.
Congratulations and well wishes to her family.
