Before most of us have even awakened, Claire Prince has already completed her 4am workout, the first of the day. She then heads off to her clients to personally train them at the gym for around eight hours, then after, spars in the ring with her own boxing trainer. Afterward, she heads home, preps her organic meals for the next day to start the process all over again. She has to say no to most social outings and doesn’t drink alcohol. As an Olympic hopeful, a life of strict discipline isn’t atypical. But Prince knows that the price tag associated with it, however, is something many onlookers don’t think about enough.
“It takes a lot of money to try and make it all the way,” she tells ESSENCE.
At 32-years-old, she said she’s considered a late bloomer in the boxing space, since she began to take it seriously in her mid twenties.
“I was inspired by the lead character in Million Dollar Baby,” she says, referring to the Academy Award-winning film about a thirty-something year old woman who turned to professional boxing despite all odds against her.
Similarly, Prince turned to the sport despite having her own doubts but pushed relied on her already keen athleticism to carry her through. Always athletic, she played sports as a child and went to play college basketball. Boxing, however, felt like a calling.
“It gave me something else to work towards,” she tells ESSENCE. “When I was coming to a close in my senior year at college, it’s like, well, it’s done. This is it. You go into the workforce, whatever it is that you’re studying at the time, it’s like, what now? And I just walked into a boxing gym. I’m like, Hey, I’m a college kid. I don’t have that much money, but I’m very athletic. And it ended up working out.”
In the beginning she said many people helped her because she was looked at what she was, a struggling college student. Her first trainer charged her a fraction of what the sessions were worth. As she got older though, her dream became much more expensive.
“To take part in local and regional competitions cost hundreds of dollars before even setting foot in the ring,” she explains. “And then of course you have to pay your team around you to get there.” Prince is based in New York City, where private boxing training can command up can range from $80–$300 per hour, depending on the trainer’s level. Coupled with the high average cost of living in NYC, the highest in the nation, finances became a growing concern.
As Prince began winning more competitions locally, she began qualifying for others across the country, which meant paying for flights, hotels, on-ground-transportation and healthy food.
“In the last year I’ve maybe spent around $20,000 on expenses for this alone.”
She’s not alone.
In a 2021 interview with Vice, then Olympic hopeful Shaye Hatchette said she has spent more than $35,000 in travel fees alone since 2018 to pursue her dreams of getting a medal in the kayaking category. The outlet reported she spends more than $38,000 in expenses per her account. Other reports have pointed out the Olympic hopefuls quit their jobs to pursue training full time, often relying on others or flex income to live.
“I quit my job to do this, which was really scary,” Prince shares. She says she previously worked as a director of group fitness for a large gym in the West Village before moving on to work as an independent trainer.
“Giving up a steady paycheck living in New York City was really tough, but I figured I may as do this while I can,” she says, explaining that at 32, she’s considering family planning in the future.
Prince didn’t wind up qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but she’s doesn’t want to be counted out just yet.
“I may do 2028, but as a fencer,” she says smilingly. “It’s the same footwork and less strenuous on the body. Either way, I’m still not done yet.”
