Olympics Superfan Spends Life Savings to Attend Her 7th Games
(PARIS) — Vivianne Robinson, adorned with pins and trinkets, is a sight to behold on the streets of Paris.
This Olympics superfan has been to seven Summer Games over the past 40 years. But her trip to Paris came at a significant cost — $10,000 to be exact.
Robinson, 66, from Los Angeles, maxed out her credit cards and juggled two jobs to afford the trip and the 38 event tickets she purchased. She worked on Venice Beach during the day, creating custom rice necklaces, and bagged groceries at night. She says she’ll need to work for two more years to recover from the financial strain of following her Olympic passion to Paris.
“Saving up was tough and it’s a big expense, but it’s worth it a thousand times over,” she says.
Despite her dedication, she was disappointed to shell out $1,600 for a view of the opening ceremony only to end up watching a screen on a bridge. “Do you know how long it takes to earn that kind of money?” she asks, eventually adding: “But things happen in life and life goes on. You win even if you lose a few battles.”
During her interview, a passerby suggested Robinson leverage her fame by starting an account and asking for help funding her passion.
“That doesn’t matter. I’ll make the money eventually,” she responds.
Robinson’s fascination with the Olympics began when her mother worked as a translator for athletes at the University of California, Los Angeles, during the 1984 Olympics. Her mother would come home from work with pins from athletes, which she shared with her daughter.
Her newfound hobby of collecting pins led her to Atlanta 1996, where she made rice necklaces for athletes in exchange for their pins.
“I got all the pins and got to meet all the athletes. And back then, security wasn’t as strict as it is now,” she recalls. “Nowadays, you can’t even get close to the athletes’ village.”
From there: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, London 2012 and Rio 2016. She secured a visa for Beijing 2008, but ultimately couldn’t afford the trip. Tokyo was a similar disappointment: She bought tickets, but got refunded as COVID-19 surged and the Games were held without spectators.
Robinson’s outfits started modestly but have grown more elaborate over time. She spent a year crafting her Paris outfit, adorning it with hundreds of trinkets. Dozens of Eiffel Tower ornaments dangle from her hat, just above her Olympic ring earrings. Patches, pins and small flags are pinned to her clothing.
Her attire draws attention. Not a minute passes before someone stops Robinson for a photo with or of her. She smiles through it but admits it can become overwhelming.
“It is a bit overwhelming. I can’t really get anywhere because everyone stops me for pictures. It takes a long time to get to the venues, but it’s OK,” she says.
And she says she feels a little like the celebrities she’s so excited to have seen — like Tom Cruise, Lady Gaga and Snoop Dogg at the Games.
As soon as these Olympics end, she will start working on the next Summer Games, from creating outfits to saving up for tickets, no matter the cost — although the next Games are on her home turf, in Los Angeles.
“Oh, I’m going to do this forever. I’m going to save all my money and just focus on the Olympics,” she said.