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Who Is Michele Kang? Businesswoman Donates Millions to U.S. Women’s Rugby Olympic Team
The U.S. women’s rugby team made history at the 2024 Olympics by winning the nation its first medal in the sevens event in Paris. Fans raved over the powerhouse athletes and those with a mass amount of disposable income shared their support in a major way, like Michele Kang. The businesswoman gifted the organization with a seven-figure check to help get them from bronze to gold Olympic medalists.
Michelle Kang Isn’t a Stranger to Sports
The businesswoman owns The National Women’s Sports League team the Washington Spirit, and was the first woman of color to do so. She later acquired the England Women’s Championship team London City Lionesses and is also an investor in American media company Just Women’s Sports.
In 2024, she became the owner of Olympique Lyonnais Feminin (OLF) and shared her plans to boost the team.
“As my head of performance says, women are not small men, so they should not be trained based upon the training manuals developed by men,” she told the New York Times. “I wanted a dedicated staff, focused only on women. When they get up in the morning, they only think about women athletes, not men and women.”
Michele Kang’s Grand Donation to U.S. Women’s Rugby
After Team USA was ribboned with a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in July 2024 for rugby sevens, they were presented with a second trophy.
Michelle addressed the team and staff on the stairs of an official Olympic building and announced her $4 million donation over the span of the next four years.
“2024 has been a banner year for women’s sports with record-breaking attendance and viewership, and women’s rugby is no exception,” Michele said in a news release. “This Eagles team, led by players like Ilona Maher and co-captains Lauren Doyle and Naya Tapper, has captivated millions of new fans, bringing unprecedented attention to the sport.”
The philanthropist shared how “happy” she was “to support these outstanding athletes to realize their dream in capturing the gold in Los Angeles in 2028.”
“That work starts now. As corporate sponsors and broadcast networks increasingly see the value and enthusiasm for women’s sports, now is the moment to unlock the full potential of these incredible female athletes and inspire generations to come,” Michele continued.
Someone shared a video via TikTok of Michele’s announcement on July 31, 2024, and fans were blown away by the pay it forward moment.
“Michele Kang has invested in women’s sports for YEARS. She owns my local women’s football club in London and I love her sm,” one person gushed.
A second person wrote, “I had no idea Olympic teams were self-funded. Our people and corporations need to step up. Thx Michele and [Flavor] Flav for making us aware. This will help all teams within Team USA.”
Flavor Flav also physically, emotionally and financially supported Team USA’s Olympic women’s water polo team as their official hype man. The high honor stemmed from the Public Enemy rapper sponsoring athlete Maggie Steffens in May 2024.
