Help Jakob Swim for Australia at France

#OpenJakob'sDoors# https://youtu.be/40YRoVHk810 We need more help raising funding to get Jakob to Vichy France to represent Australia in Swimming in 2 weeks. The EURO dollar is very challenging. Our son, Jakob, has been selected as part of the Australian Swim team at the sixth edition of the Virtus Global Games will be held in Vichy, France from 4 to 10 June 2023. Virtus Global Games is the world’s largest elite sports event for athletes with intellectual impairment and high-functioning autism. Thousands of athletes from Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania will perform across ten main sports. Jakob has high-functioning autism. (ASD). Hopefully, this classification will soon be open to all ASD. Jakob has always stated that 'swimming is my one trick pony'. Help us #OpenDoors4Jakob# that these games open pathways for selection at the Para Olympics. Jakob loved the water as a baby. The best place was under the water where he could not hear the noise. However, Jakob struggled to learn how to swim by verbal instructions, so he learned with cue cards on key rings and then later on swimming tutorial videos. VISUALS...best thing ever!! He was always very fast, however swimming in squads was sometimes frustrating for both him and some coaches as coaches swimmers with ASD require patience, experience and knowledge. We have been blessed over the past several years to have engaged some wonderful coaches who are willing to work with Jakob, allow him the space to grow, be patient and understanding towards him, and provide him with tools that he understands to thrive in swimming. It has all paid off. Jakob has held the age school swimming champion in the last 5 years of high school, represented at zone, regional, country, state and last year at Nationals for his club, where he is now ranked #1 for his age in the S19 Classification for Australia. Jakob also holds multiple short course records for Swimming North Coast which were achieved at Sydney Olympic Park. Jakob was selected to represent Australia at Virtus Games in Brisbane last year where he won 4 gold (50m free, butterfly, back and 100 free) and 1 silver (50m breast). To be offered this opportunity to represent his country again, but this time in a foreign country will certainly be an experience and challenge he wants to take head-on. FUNDRAISER This is where we ask for your help. We are asking for donations to help pay for his travel (airfares and rail) accommodation, food, uniforms etc. One parent needs to attend as I need to cook his meals as they will not be catering for his sensory needs at the hotel. Leading up to these games, Jakob recently competed at the Australian Age and Open Swimming Championships at the Gold Coast from 7 - 20 April 2023. During the GoFundMe we were able to raise some funds to assist with travel and accommodation for the two weeks. So grateful. The fundraiser has allowed us to pay towards a couple of deposits for Global Games with the family of course contributing. We have one more payment due end of May. Unfortunately, the government does not support the athletes and we must share the load financially amongst each other. For example, our luggage limits are reduced to allow for athletes with heavier equipment etc. We also contribute towards staff flight costs. Immediately after returning from France, Jakob will be travelling to Melbourne where he has qualified to participate in the World Championship Trials in Multi Class events. We hope to raise travel and accommodation funds for one week. What a way to finish the year to be able to be on the same platform as world-class swimmers. We are a long way off our goal, but we are forever grateful for all donations and all the wonderful well-wishers. COSTINGS (will update) Australian Age and Swimming Champ Accommodation: $3000 Global Games June: $16 000 (1 Australian Dollar equals 0.61 Euro) World Championship Trials: $5000 In advance, our family and friends thank everyone around the world in support of our son's dreams to one day swim at the Para Olympic Games. The photo below - Dad hugs after winning - he would have received those anyway - always so proud. Check out the photos in the updates too with one of his coaches, James Magnussen.