Manassas Native, Paralympians Nick Mayhugh's Fundraiser Gets Boost From Flavor Flav

MANASSAS, VA — Heading into his second Paralympics, Manassas native Nick Mayhugh has never had his parents watch him compete internationally. But with the help of a GoFundMe fundraiser and advocacy from rapper Flavor Flav, Mayhugh's parents Scott and Stephnee are headed to Paris to watch the Paralympics.

Mayhugh, a track and field athlete and Patriot High School graduate who has also competed on the U.S. para national soccer team, is in pursuit of more medals at the Paralympics. Mayhugh has a mild form of cerebral palsy, having experienced a numbing feeling on one side of his body and side effects throughout his life. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, he won gold in the men's 100m T37, men's 200m T37 and mixed 4 x 100m Medley and silver in the men's 400m T37.

A win at the Paris Paralympics would mean more if his parents were present. The Paralympian had started a GoFundMe fundraiser to send his parents to the Paris Paralympics, which start on Aug. 28 and run through Sept. 8. They weren't able to attend the Tokyo Paralympics in person in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fundraiser sought to support his parent's trip to Paris, covering flights, hotels, food and other travel expenses.

That fundraiser got the attention of Flavor Flav, who agreed to a five-year sponsorship of the U.S. women's water polo team and helped an Olympic track and field athlete pay her rent along with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Flavor Flav promoted the fundraiser to his followers, saying, "Imagine spending 18 years taking ya kid to every practice and game and working 2-3 jobs to buy equipment, and then not being able to watch them play the biggest game of they life."

Within a day of the post, Mayhugh's $10,000 fundraiser was fully funded.

Mayhugh expressed gratitude for Flavor Flav's support for him and other athletes and promised to "make [him] and everyone else proud." The athlete said support for Olympic and Paralympic athletes won't be forgotten.

"Mr Flav has done more for the Olympic and Paralympic community than anyone!!" Mayhugh said in a tweet. "It’s time for someone else to step up. But by the time LA28 rolls around and other celebrities get involved WE won’t forget who was the first and only one to care about us."