James and William Slade squash trip to Houston, Texas USA!

Hello, we are James & Will Slade and we are twin 18 year old elite junior Squash players from Sydney, Australia. We are hoping you will be able to help us with a donation of whatever you feel you may be able to afford in these tough economic times. We are currently in Year 12 at School and also having to apply ourselves to study & exams. We do provide some coaching to others to earn some money on the side but due to our studies, we have had to cut back our coaching this year.

Squash Australia has selected both of us to compete at the World Junior Squash championships being held in Houston, Texas, USA between July 8th to July 24th. We are looking for donations to help with the large cost of this international event, where all the Squash nations of the world will get together to fight for the World Junior Squash Championships. The expenses involved are quite large and we are of a family of modest means and that is why we are asking for your kindness in helping take some of the load, if you can off our family. As an example the return airfare is $3195.00 AUD for each of us. The accommodation is $100.00 AUD per night for each of us. Then also on top of that money meals will be required. With us being twins as you can imagine all costs are double and this most certainly makes our trip very expensive. All of our other team mates' families only have to cover the cost of one Junior, whereas our family has to cover the costs of two juniors. We will be very grateful for any assistance that you are able to help us out with.

Background Information:

We both picked up a Squash racquet for the first time in September, 2016 when our Dad took us to Baulkham Hills squash centre. We had just finished a season playing Soccer, which we were kind of lukewarm about. However, from the very first time we hit a Squash ball we were hooked. We loved it! From that moment our family were adamant that we be coached by professional coaches. We started having lessons with James Ethan. From there we went to Thornleigh squash centre and were coached by Rex Thomas & Rohan Toole. From there and up to the current day we were and are coached by Aaron Frankcomb and his coaching team.

Over the last 7 years we have represented NSW against other States & Territories of Australia.

In 2018 NSW Squash selected us to play in Darwin, Northern Territory.

In 2019 NSW Squash selected us to play in Devenport, Tasmania.

In 2021 NSW Squash selected us to play in Gold Coast, Queensland

In 2022 NSW Squash selected us to play in Perth, Western Australia.

In 2022, 2023 & 2024 one of us for each of those years were selected to play for Australia in the Trans Tasman test which pits Australia's best juniors against New Zealand's best juniors. Both of us over the last 7 years have competed in the Australian Junior Open, Australian Junior Championships & The Oceania Junior Championships and achieved high & strong results. We both have represented NSW in the Combined High Schools Squash tournaments. In this we have played against other High Schools and from that against the best of Queensland & New Zealand High Schools.

In being selected for the World Junior Squash championships in Houston, Texas we have been given the greatest honour of all in our Squash careers to this point. We both will give our all to do Australia proud both on and off the court whilst being in the USA. We have a great sense of Australian Squash history and are in awe of the long list of past Australian Squash champions that dominated the world of Squash. The list of great & legendary past Australian Squash players is so very long. However, these great champions were spearheaded by the great Geoff Hunt & Heather McKay and we have these legendary Australian squash players in the forefront of our minds and we hope that we may very well be part of a new young generation that may be able to emulate our great former champions.

In closing we will be grateful and thank you in advance for whatever you may be able to donate to assist us both.

Sincerely, James & Will Slade.