OUR SON NEEDS YOUR HELP!!

Rafe is determined to follow in the footsteps of his Great Grandfather who competed in the London Olympic Games in 1948 by competing for Great Britain in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. The event of choice is SPEED CLIMBING!!

Rafe has been obsessed with climbing since he was 4 years old, has been competing since he was 7, and embarked on his first adult season in 2021. Two weeks after earning a silver medal at the 2021 USA Yeti National Championships, his premiere adult season was interrupted by a catastrophic accident.

Our lives were turned upside down and the injuries he sustained resulted in him spending 2 months in a wheelchair. As you can imagine this was an extremely challenging experience for Rafe.

Coming close to losing everything that he had worked so hard towards, really took a toll on Rafe, both physically and mentally.

We are so proud of Rafe's journey, and that his recovery cemented his love of climbing. He spent every waking moment in physical training and rehab. Rafe got back on the wall with the sole purpose of getting back into competitive shape, earning a place on the GB team less than five months after his accident. The experience made him more determined and focused than ever to surpass his previous records.

At age 17, Rafe is the current British No. 1 and British record holder in Speed Climbing!!

Rafe's British Record-Breaking Run!

TEAM GB

We are delighted to share that Rafe has been selected to represent GB Climbing and TEAM GB in the upcoming Olympic qualifying season. The season commences THIS MONTH… but he cannot afford to go without raising $32,750!!

It would mean the world to us if you could help us raise the money required to completely fund Rafe’s Olympic qualifying season. Achieving this fundraising goal would enable him to compete for 3 months, across 3 Continents and complete the full World Cup schedule.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Donate on this page – Every little helps!

2. Share the Fundraising Link - Via Email, Text, WhatsApp and Social Media platforms to your family and friends by copying and pasting this link: https://gofund.me/LetsGoRafe2024

3. Spread the Word – We would be extremely grateful if you could encourage others to share the Fundraising Link

FURTHER DETAILS FOLLOW:

FUNDING GOALS:

The qualifying season starts in Korea on 28th April 2023 and ends in China on 24th September.

We must raise at least $32,750 for the direct costs associated with such a gruelling qualification season.

Airline Tickets: 8 x Transcontinental Flights

Accommodation: Europe during the European Season

Transportation: To all 11 x International Competitions

Personal Trainer: Focusing on explosive power and dietician-led nutrition plan

Sports Psychologist: Focusing on mental toughness

Any surplus fund from this year will be used for next year’s expenses.

COMPETITIVE ACHIEVEMENTS:

2021

– 2nd Place: USA National Championships

2022

2023

2023 PLAN:

Rafe is training harder than ever to achieve Olympic Qualification along with hopefully a Youth World Championship gold medal in South Korea.

IFSC World Cup Qualifying Season for 2024 Paris Olympics

o 3 Continents: Spring & Summer

 Includes:

• Youth World Championships: August

• European Olympic Selection Event: September

OLYMPIC QUALIFYING SEASON SCHEDULE:

• IFSC - Climbing World Cup - Seoul (KOR): 28 - 30 April 2023 *

• IFSC - Climbing World Cup - Salt Lake City (USA): 19 - 21 May 2023 *

• IFSC Europe - Continental Cup - Innsbruck (AUT): 13 June 2023 *

• European Games - Krakow/Malopolska (POL): 21 June - 3 July 2023

• IFSC - Climbing World Cup - Villars (SUI): 30 June - 2 July 2023*

• IFSC - Climbing World Cup - Chamonix (FRA): 7 - 9 July 2023*

• IFSC Europe - Continental Cup - Žilina (SVK): 15 - 16 July 2023*

• IFSC - Climbing World Championships - Bern (SUI): 9 - 11 August 2023**

• FSC - Climbing Youth World Championships - South Korea (KOR): 19 - 27 August 2023

• IFSC - European Olympic Qualifiers - Italy (ITA): 15 - 16 September 2023**

• IFSC - Climbing World Cup - Wujiang (CHN): 22 - 24 September 2023*

** Direct Olympic qualifying event

* Ranking points earned for eligibility for second-round qualification events in 2024

COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO:

Rafe's GB Record Run

Full Youth World Championships Finals Video:

MESSAGE FROM RAFE:

I am beyond grateful for the support that I have received from everyone who is helping me pursue my Olympic Speed Climbing dreams. Thanks to your generosity, my training has been going incredibly well. I am excited to share that I've been able to enlist the help of a personal strength coach, who has been instrumental in pushing me beyond my physical limits, as well as a sports psychologist who is helping me develop my mental toughness.

Your continued support is a huge motivation for me, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you. Your belief in me makes all the difference and I am so grateful to have you in my corner, as I couldn’t do this without you.

I am committed to working hard to pursue my dream of representing Great Britain in the World Cups, World Championship and the Olympics.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Rafe

TO FOLLOW RAFE:

Instagram: @stokes_climbing

TikTok: @rafe_stokes