Help Jake get to Australia to represent GB

Hi everyone, I’m Jake. Thank you for taking the time to read my story on how I got to this stage of my sporting career. I have created this gofundme page in order to try and receive any financial support which will help me fund my journey to representing the GB Age Group Team at the World Championships in Australia 2024.

In November 2021, I unfortunately suffered a broken ankle during a Football match which was also the same ankle that I broke when I was 17 years old. Football is a sport that I’ve been involved in all my life having played at a Semi-Professional level since I was 18 whilst also representing my County throughout my youth. Having broken my ankle for the second time and due to the possible long term effects that this could have if it was to happen again, I made the difficult decision to move away from Football and step out of my comfort zone into something completely different.

Whilst I was never able to fully commit to another Sport due to playing Football, I enjoyed running on a regular basis and the idea of competing in another sport such as Triathlon and Duathlon was something that always interested me. In 2022, once I’d managed to make a full recovery from my injury I decided to take the plunge and sign up for my first triathlon which was a local race. Having never competed in anything like this before, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t even own a road bike, so I had to borrow my dad’s bike and my uncle’s 10 year old cycling shoes. My goal wasn’t about how quickly I could complete the race, it was about experiencing a brand new sport and my mindset at the time was that if I didn’t enjoy it then I wouldn’t do it again. Fast forward one year later, I’ve now competed five triathlons, two duathlons and a handful of long distance running events.

I’m proud to say that after only a year of racing and competing in Triathlon and Duathlon, I’ve now secured a spot to represent my country in Australia. To race for Team GB Age Group has been a goal of mine from the beginning of my journey and whilst some people may have doubted me, it just shows that with hard work and determination you can achieve your goals and what you set out to do.

Looking back at my first triathlon to where I am now, it hasn’t been an easy journey and I’ve had some set backs along the way. I’ve always tried to be consistent and stay motivated and a big part of that is having the support of my girlfriend and family. When things haven’t gone to plan, they’ve been there for me and have supported me through everything so I’ll be racing to make them proud and will give it everything I’ve got.

The cost of getting to Australia will need to fund flights, accommodation, international race fees, GB team kit and international race insurance. Any donation no matter how big or small will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey.

Jake