Jennie's Road to Paris 2024

Update: Thank you so much everyone for your overwhelming support! I really appreciate every single donation, and will continue working hard!

Hi everyone!

My name is Jennie Gai and I am a professional badminton player for the United States aiming to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in mixed doubles. Today, I’m asking for your support in helping me pursue this dream and represent the US as an Olympian next year.

Currently, my partner Vinson Chiu and I are ranked 30 in the world, with a career high of 29. In addition to being the 2022 US Adult National Champions, we are also a top pair in the Pan American region. Our partnership started two years ago, when we won our first tournament together at the 2021 Mexican International Challenge. For the next year and a half, we faced ups and downs as both of us were full-time UC Berkeley students while still training and traveling for competition. Beyond the difficulties of balancing studies, we had little access to high-level training and sparring compared to our Asian and European competition.

In order to pursue this professional career while also not giving up on a quality education, I graduated a semester early in December 2022 (with a B.S. degree in Nutrition!), which allowed us to make the switch to training overseas beginning January this year. Being able to train and spar with world-class players was game-changing: we have made incredible progress since, from a highest ranking of 49 last year to 29 this year.

However, as many of you may know, American badminton players receive no government or association financial support. This means that all of our travel finances come out-of-pocket; international flights and long-term accommodation costs add up quickly during the Olympic qualification year. As we rise up the rankings, we have the opportunity to play more Super 500, 750, and 1000 ranking tournaments with better competition, and we are traveling to compete as frequently as 3-4 weeks in a row. I would greatly appreciate any support to help offset these costs and allow me to continue my badminton journey. Looking beyond just qualifying for the Olympics, we ultimately aim to break into the Top 20 world rankings and become a podium-contender mixed doubles pair.

As both Vinson and I have grown up in the US and are products of the US junior badminton system, we hope to show a successful transition from the junior to adult circuit and to strengthen this pipeline. Any support, whether it be donations, sharing this fundraiser, or simply words of encouragement, will be of help and greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Achievements:

— 2023 Mexican International Challenge: Gold

— 2023 Santiago Pan American Games: Silver

— 2023 Peru International Challenge: Silver

— 2023 Maldives International Challenge: Silver

— 2023 US Open Super 300: Quarter-finalist

— 2023 Orléans Masters Super 300: Quarter-finalist

— 2022 Peru International Challenge: Gold

— 2022 Mexican International Series: Gold

— 2022 Mexican International Challenge: Silver

— 2022 Canadian International Challenge: Bronze

— 2022 US Adult Nationals: Gold

— Representing Team USA at the World Championships, Thomas & Uber Cups, and Sudirman Cup