Funds Pour In To Send Local Olympian's Brothers To Olympics

An online fundraiser has brought in over $11,000 so far to help pay to send a local Olympian's brothers to South Korea so they can watch their teenage sister compete in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in February. Bradie Tennell's brothers are her "number one fans" and a GoFundMe page has been set up by a family friend to pay for their trip to PyeongChang, South Korea. Tennell, who was an unlikely candidate for the U.S. figure skating team just a month ago, placed first at the U.S. national championships on Jan. 5 in San Jose, Calif.

Tennell, 19, of Carpentersville, is back in the suburbs training at her home rink, Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion in Buffalo Grove. She is planning to leave for South Korea on Feb. 5 and the Olympic team figure skating competition will get underway on Feb. 11.

• MORE ON PATCH: Bradie Tennell's Road To The Olympics
  

Until then, her family is hopeful enough money will be raised so Tennell's younger brothers can head to the Olympics as well. Tennell's mom, Jean, is a single mother to the three children. The registered nurse works two jobs "to make ends meet on a daily basis," according to a GoFundMe page set up by the family's friend, Michelle McNamara of Cary.

"Because of this, there's no extra money to bring her sons to PyeongChang," McNamara wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Bradie's brothers have always been, and continue to be her number one fans."

As of Wednesday morning, over $11,000 had been raised for the Tennell family. The fundraiser is aiming to raise $20,000.

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