Andrew's Olympic Journey
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Andrew Neill Nunez and my dream is to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games for the Chilean national team, but I can’t do this alone, I need your help!
Thank you to everyone for your support so far, for my first two trips to race in Chile I have raised $2,725 now I'm headed back to spend 5 months training and racing in South America, I am trying to raise $8,900 to kickoff my 2022 season.
About Me
I've spent the last 17 years working in the bike industry and learning to race my road bike. I've had some success here and there but have finally found my stride as a time trialist. A few years ago, through my mother, I was presented with the opportunity to get my dual citizenship with Chile. I realized this is an opportunity I could not pass up and a chance to achieve my lifetime dream of becoming an Olympian.
In 2019, I had big plans set in motion to start my campaign towards Olympic qualification but due to COVID, my life came (like many others) to a sudden stop. It was a big blow but I was able to regroup, refocus and this past year, everything seems to be slowly coming together. I went to Chile in July to compete in the national championship individual time trial where I took 6th place (missed 5th by 7 seconds over 40km) in the elite men category. I returned home after that successful trip and won the Oregon state individual time trial championship in the eddy category. I was offered an opportunity to come back to Chile and compete in the Atacama Challenger, a 3x day stage race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The race was brutally hard and extreme in every aspect, not to mention I've never raced this discipline before. There were 1,500 racers and this was an international pro field, I ended up taking 10th place in the general classification in the pro men category.
After much celebration and once the shock and disbelief has worn off, my coaches and I believe it's time to spend a season training, racing in an attempt to earn UCI points to qualify for the Panamerican Games in Santiago in 2023 en route to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
I am 34 years old in a "young mans" sport, I arrived to cycling later in life while I was in college and came from a true amateur beginning to now holding my UCI Pro license. I only have one chance in my life to compete at the Olympic games and to fulfill my lifetime dream but I can't do it alone.
Why I Need Your Help
I am attempting to compete at the absolute highest level of my sport on a wold stage, I'm realistic in my goals and know that I'm not in medal contention, however I believe with every fiber of my being that I can make this happen but it comes down to finances which leads to opportunities for training and racing.
Most professional riders are able to forgo a day job to focus on their athletic pursuits, have multiple opportunities to race, and can afford to make mistakes and try again. Most professional cyclists participate in 60-90 races each season. For me, each opportunity to compete is a gift. My support structure is small but mighty, comprising friends and family, a few incredible gear sponsors who give me a few free pairs of socks and a discount on products, and hopefully you!
I have taken the leap in pursuit of my dream and I welcome you go join me, I've left my stable job in the bike industry, I now work part time trying to coach other cyclists and do a little marketing for a local business but I've walked away from the stability of life in search of something bigger. To be honest, it's absolutely terrifying.
My plan is to spend 5x months in Chile training and racing, based out of Santiago, which is centrally located and easy to get around via walking, bike, train or bus to races. I plan to race the National Championships on the road, time trial and cross country mountain bike, while trying to improve my national ranking.
Here’s the cost breakdown of what I hope, with your support, my 2022 racing season in Chile will include:
Airfare $1,200 (ticket for one + 2x bicycles, wheels, training equipment, toolkit, rice cooker, etc.)
Food for 5 months ($10 day) - $1500
Lodging for 5 months approximately, $2000
Train tickets to get to races Approx 15x at $60 ea - $900
Race entry fees 20x /$100 ea - $2,000
Bicycle maintenance expenses annually for 2x bikes (tires, brake pads, tubes, chain, cassette, etc.) $700
2022 Team kit $400
Gofundme fees 2.9% ($355.05)
Total estimate $8,952*
Any left over funds will migrate to the 2023 season*
Giving Back
With your support, I’ll be one step closer to achieving my lifelong dream of competing in the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
My goal of competing at the highest level of sport is for the honor of representing the underrepresented country of Chile on the world stage especially in the sport of cycling. Additionally, I’m excited to push myself physically and mentally to compete with the top athletes in the elite field of road racing.
If I am able to compete in Paris in 2024, my future plan is to combine my training as a master bicycle mechanic, my degree in nonprofit management and outdoor education and experience as an Olympic athlete to support underrepresented and minority groups in the sport of cycling.I want to break down implicit and explicit barriers, with a specific focus on diversity, inclusion and respect within the sport.
I am also someone who suffers with crippling anxiety and panic attacks on a regular basis and I want to normalize the conversation about mental health in sport among male athletes.
On top of this I am a vegan athlete and have been so for nearly a decade, I believe strongly in a plant based diet for many reasons, your support will make this possible, giving me a platform to speak about these topics that I am passionate about.
Thank you for reading this, and for everything you do. Even if you’re not able to contribute at this time, you can follow my journey on this page, my athlete page Andrew Neill Nunez
Please don’t hesitate to reach out!
I'm also open to speaking to groups or following up with leads for corporate sponsors to represent and develop a strong mutual relationship with.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your support.
Cheers,
-Andrew Neill Nunez-
About Me
I've spent the last 17 years working in the bike industry and learning to race my road bike. I've had some success here and there but have finally found my stride as a time trialist. A few years ago, through my mother, I was presented with the opportunity to get my dual citizenship with Chile. I realized this is an opportunity I could not pass up and a chance to achieve my lifetime dream of becoming an Olympian.
In 2019, I had big plans set in motion to start my campaign towards Olympic qualification but due to COVID, my life came (like many others) to a sudden stop. It was a big blow but I was able to regroup, refocus and this past year, everything seems to be slowly coming together. I went to Chile in July to compete in the national championship individual time trial where I took 6th place (missed 5th by 7 seconds over 40km) in the elite men category. I returned home after that successful trip and won the Oregon state individual time trial championship in the eddy category. I was offered an opportunity to come back to Chile and compete in the Atacama Challenger, a 3x day stage race in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The race was brutally hard and extreme in every aspect, not to mention I've never raced this discipline before. There were 1,500 racers and this was an international pro field, I ended up taking 10th place in the general classification in the pro men category.
After much celebration and once the shock and disbelief has worn off, my coaches and I believe it's time to spend a season training, racing in an attempt to earn UCI points to qualify for the Panamerican Games in Santiago in 2023 en route to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
I am 34 years old in a "young mans" sport, I arrived to cycling later in life while I was in college and came from a true amateur beginning to now holding my UCI Pro license. I only have one chance in my life to compete at the Olympic games and to fulfill my lifetime dream but I can't do it alone.
Why I Need Your Help
I am attempting to compete at the absolute highest level of my sport on a wold stage, I'm realistic in my goals and know that I'm not in medal contention, however I believe with every fiber of my being that I can make this happen but it comes down to finances which leads to opportunities for training and racing.
Most professional riders are able to forgo a day job to focus on their athletic pursuits, have multiple opportunities to race, and can afford to make mistakes and try again. Most professional cyclists participate in 60-90 races each season. For me, each opportunity to compete is a gift. My support structure is small but mighty, comprising friends and family, a few incredible gear sponsors who give me a few free pairs of socks and a discount on products, and hopefully you!
I have taken the leap in pursuit of my dream and I welcome you go join me, I've left my stable job in the bike industry, I now work part time trying to coach other cyclists and do a little marketing for a local business but I've walked away from the stability of life in search of something bigger. To be honest, it's absolutely terrifying.
My plan is to spend 5x months in Chile training and racing, based out of Santiago, which is centrally located and easy to get around via walking, bike, train or bus to races. I plan to race the National Championships on the road, time trial and cross country mountain bike, while trying to improve my national ranking.
Here’s the cost breakdown of what I hope, with your support, my 2022 racing season in Chile will include:
Airfare $1,200 (ticket for one + 2x bicycles, wheels, training equipment, toolkit, rice cooker, etc.)
Food for 5 months ($10 day) - $1500
Lodging for 5 months approximately, $2000
Train tickets to get to races Approx 15x at $60 ea - $900
Race entry fees 20x /$100 ea - $2,000
Bicycle maintenance expenses annually for 2x bikes (tires, brake pads, tubes, chain, cassette, etc.) $700
2022 Team kit $400
Gofundme fees 2.9% ($355.05)
Total estimate $8,952*
Any left over funds will migrate to the 2023 season*
Giving Back
With your support, I’ll be one step closer to achieving my lifelong dream of competing in the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
My goal of competing at the highest level of sport is for the honor of representing the underrepresented country of Chile on the world stage especially in the sport of cycling. Additionally, I’m excited to push myself physically and mentally to compete with the top athletes in the elite field of road racing.
If I am able to compete in Paris in 2024, my future plan is to combine my training as a master bicycle mechanic, my degree in nonprofit management and outdoor education and experience as an Olympic athlete to support underrepresented and minority groups in the sport of cycling.I want to break down implicit and explicit barriers, with a specific focus on diversity, inclusion and respect within the sport.
I am also someone who suffers with crippling anxiety and panic attacks on a regular basis and I want to normalize the conversation about mental health in sport among male athletes.
On top of this I am a vegan athlete and have been so for nearly a decade, I believe strongly in a plant based diet for many reasons, your support will make this possible, giving me a platform to speak about these topics that I am passionate about.
Thank you for reading this, and for everything you do. Even if you’re not able to contribute at this time, you can follow my journey on this page, my athlete page Andrew Neill Nunez
I'm also open to speaking to groups or following up with leads for corporate sponsors to represent and develop a strong mutual relationship with.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your support.
Cheers,
-Andrew Neill Nunez-
Organizer
Andrew Neill
Organizer
Eugene, OR
