Team USA rugby medalist becomes free healthcare advocate after discovering it in Olympic Village
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — The Olympic Village is mystical place for us non-Olympians. But apparently, there are some perks that even some athletes aren’t aware of.
Take Team USA’s rugby sevens bronze medalist Ariana Ramsey, for example.
When the 24-year-old arrived in Paris, she apparently knew of the free food on offer in the Village. What she didn’t know, though, was that free healthcare was available to all athletes.
In a video posted on her TikTok account, Ramsey said that she had a free pap smear. That wasn’t all, as she said she had booked a dentist appointment and an eye exam.
“Like, what?!” an incredulous Ramsey told her followers.
Ramsey said her videos displaying her incredulity at the free healthcare were picked up by media in France and that she has received positive feedback from workers.
“So when I was going into my eye doctors appointment – my free eye doctor’s appointment in the Olympic Village – my eye doctor recognized me. She was like: ‘Your video’s going viral.’
“And then when I left, there were all these workers coming up to me and being like: ‘Thank you for your video.’ … France, you did do your big ones with free healthcare, or every other country minus America, did their big one with free healthcare.”
The experience seems to have changed Ramsey’s approach to healthcare.
She said in another video where she appeared to be at the dentist’s office: “This is going to be my new fight for action. Free healthcare in America. Period.”
She added: “Anyways, America needs to do better with their healthcare system. There’s no reason why me, an American girl, should be so amazed by free healthcare.”
Ramsey has since changed her TikTok bio to describe herself as a “Universal Free Healthcare Advocate” and she said has been recognized while walking around Paris for her videos.
The-CNN-Wire
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