From homelessness to the Olympic dreams, the inspiring journey of a mother and son to Paris

A mother and her son, who were once homeless, achieved their Olympic dreams in Paris.

The mother cheered on her son last week as he competed in the 10-kilometer marathon swim for the United States team.

“It was a ‘we’ effort … there’s so many people involved [along] the way, and she’s at the front of that freaking list,” Ivan Puskovitch, the 23-year-old marathon swimmer told “Good Morning America” about his mom Robyn Rabinovitch’s support on his journey to the Olympics.

The mother and son’s story became well-known after a crowdfunding campaign was launched to pay for Robyn’s trip to Paris.

Ivan stressed that his mother deserved to watch the race, having earned it through all her hard work and sacrifices.

Ivan was an excellent student and swimmer, with his mother as his coach until he was 13.

By age 7, he had finished a 500-yard freestyle race. By 10, he had broken a national age group record, according to his Team USA profile.

Even though the family faced financial challenges, Robyn said she enrolled Puskovitch in a private school to support his swimming training after he began to excel compared to other children his age.

“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.

In 2017, while Ivan was in high school, Robyn lost sight in her right eye, which caused financial problems and homelessness.

She recalled that her life fell apart that summer, and she had to decide between feeding her children and buying her medication.

She chose to feed her kids, saying she would do anything for them.

Ivan said the situation made the next year and a half difficult for them. He explained that they lived in cars, a family friend’s basement, or a hotel if they could afford it.

The family eventually recovered, but Robyn’s health problems continued.

Despite facing many challenges, Ivan excelled as a teenager, winning junior championships and earning a place at the University of Southern California.

In February, he qualified for the 2024 Olympics for Team USA by placing 14th at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

His initial reaction to making the team and reaching his Olympic dreams was disbelief.

“I was like, ‘There’s no way,'” he said, adding that it is a goal where, no matter how much you imagine it, you’re never fully prepared for the reality of achieving it.

He felt a deep sense of gratitude for their journey and accomplishments.

Meanwhile, watching from home, Robyn was overjoyed and cried “happy tears.”

The experience became even more extraordinary when a friend started a GoFundMe page in April to help fund her trip to Paris to see her son compete.

The fundraising page has collected over $31,000 to cover the trip and Rabinovitch’s medical expenses.

She felt deeply appreciative and grateful for the support that helped her witness her son fulfill his Olympic dreams.

“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,” she said.

Ivan acknowledged that his mother had made many sacrifices and deserved to witness the fruits of her labor.

He said that while this is his defining moment, it is also special for her in her own way.

Meanwhile, Ivan, the sole American competitor in the men’s open water race, finished in 19th place, approximately seven minutes behind the top three: Hungarian gold medalist Kristof Rasovszky, German silver medalist Oliver Klemet, and Hungarian bronze medalist David Bethlehem, according to USA TODAY.

Watch Robyn and Ivan’s journey to achieving their Olympic dreams below: