A mother who was once homeless with her young son now gets to witness him compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics — and she couldn't be more overjoyed, especially remembering where they've come from. Marathon swimmer Ivan Puskovitch, 23, will be representing Team USA as he competes in the 10-kilometer marathon swim event, and his mom, Robyn Rabinovitch, will be cheering him on in person.
"It was a 'we' effort," the swimmer told Good Morning America. "There's so many people involved [along] the way, and she's at the front of that freaking list."
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The mother and son's story gained viral attention after a GoFundMe campaign was started to help raise funds for Robyn to travel to Paris. As of now, $29,350 of the $35,000 goal has been raised, which will be used to cover the trip and any remaining funds used to help pay down the mom's medical expenses.
"I think she deserves to see the race," Ivan said. "[She] is the most deserving of being able to see the culmination of all that sacrifice."
Ivan is talking about all the things he'd watched his mom endure growing up. Robyn, who was her son's primary swimming coach until he was 13, sent Ivan to a private school to get him more support in training after he became a popular swimmer among kids his age, despite the financial difficulties they were experiencing.
"For me, it was worth whatever I was going to have to deal with to make that happen, because he was really happy with his swim," she said.
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In 2017, when Ivan was in high school, Robyn woke up one day without vision in her right eye. The finances needed to cover the medical expenses ended up leaving the family homeless. She recalled it getting to a point where she sometimes had to decide between feeding her kids or paying for her medication.
"Of course, I was going to feed my kids. Whatever I needed to do for them," she said. The family eventually got back on their feet, but Robyn's health issues continued.
Even through the hardships, Ivan continued to make a name for himself. In February 2024, he qualified for the 2024 Olympics for Team USA after scoring 14th place at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. "The predominant emotion I was feeling was an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the journey, what we have all gone through to put me at this point," he said.
Robyn was surprised that so many people were interested in their story — enough to help support her get to Paris to see Ivan compete. "I can't believe so many people have banded together to try to make sure that I'm going to be able to be there to see my son in the Olympics, living out his dream," she said.
Ivan added, "She has certainly sacrificed the most and is the most deserving of being able to see the culmination of all that sacrifice. It's very much my moment but it's also [her] moment in her own way, too."
