Ultramarina - there's UK television series on YouTube which featured a chess prodigy. The parents were homeschooling him and went through a lot of hurdles (which you've mentioned) to compete at chess tournaments. The child ended up losing to Russians/East Europeans and was disappointed. I felt so bad for the parents who felt terrible and seemed so 'normal'.

So yes, I would agree that the parents, including us, make huge sacrifices - financial, emotional, physical, etc. That's a huge part of it. There's the school part or un/homeschooling, then there's the coaches, mentors, or other professionals for guidance and help.

I think there were some Olympic ice competitors who literally lived in trailers so they could afford the ice rink time/practice. The parents were willing to make the sacrifices.