Back Titouan's dream: 2025 Optimist Europeans

Hi, my name is Titouan Christodoulou and I am a 14-year old sailor competing internationally with the Cyprus National Sailing Team.

Sailing is my life

Sailing is more than just a sport for me, it is a way of life. It teaches me independence, problem-solving, sharp decision-making and resilience to adversity, which often happens in sailing. On the water, I not only sail against others and the elements, I also compete against my myself to overcome my own limits and grow as a person.

I am an ambitious sailor with big dreams. I have put in lots of hard work over the years and have sacrificed countless birthday parties, sleepovers, weekends and holidays for training. I have missed school several times for international regattas only to work twice as hard to catch up.

I qualified in the Australian Optimist Development Squad from the age of 11 and the Australian Optimist Team from the age of 13. I represented Australia in international regattas in New Caledonia and Thailand, and in 2024 I earned a coveted spot to represent Australia in the Asian and Oceanian Championship. In 2024, I spend time in Turkey and Italy to train with one of the best Optimist coaches in the world, Simone Ricci, who helped me sharpen my skills and focus my attention to extreme detail.

My dream is to become a professional competitive sailor. I dream of competing on the world-stage. I compete with optimist, but I also sail a laser and I love windsurfing. I want to do it all! One day I also want to sail around the world!

School is very important for me and I am a high-achiever academically. I understand that true success comes from discipline, balance, and a strong work ethic. My parents have taught me the importance of balance between meeting the demands of elite sports while maintaining academic results.

National Sailing Team of Cyprus

I was born in Australia but my parents are from Cyprus and France. I speak English, French and Greek, and I am now learning Spanish.

I have earned the privilege to represent Cyprus from now onward with the National Sailing Team. I am a Cypriot as much as I am an Australian and French. I feel a deep connection to Cyprus. Some of my strongest memories are from Cyprus, surrounded by loving family and lifelong friends. My yiayia (grandmother), my two uncles whom I am very close and my cousins are in Cyprus.

My role model and personal superhero is Pavlos Kontides, the only Cypriot Olympic champion ever, twice! Here is a photo of him and me in Adelaide where he participated in the ILCA world championship while I was competing in the Australian Optimist championship. The other photo is me and my brother celebrating Pavlos's second silver at the Paris olympic games :)

Why I need your help

I have recently qualified to represent Cyprus with the National Sailing Team at the 2025 European Optimist Championship, held at Çeşme, Turkey during 28 May - 4 June. This is a significant milestone in my sailing career and an essential step toward achieving my long-term dream: becoming a professional sailor!

This unique opportunity comes with significant financial challenges. Sailing does not come cheap. My family has made lots of sacrifices over the years to support my dream but there are limits to how much they can do.

I am asking for your support to raise EUR 4750 or AU$ 8,500 to cover for the necessary expenses to prepare and compete on this international stage. The expenses include:

Most of the expenses outlined above are described in the Notice of Race of the regatta.

How you can help

Every contribution, big or small, makes a huge difference! Any amount helps bring me closer to the starting line at the 2025 European Optimist Championship to represent Cyprus. Your generosity not only support my sailing goals, but is also an investment to the future growth of the Cyprus sailing team.

If you are unable to donate, you can still make a difference by sharing this campaign with family, friends, and on social media.

I will be posting regular updates on my progress on my Instagram account, from my preparation in Sydney and Turkey to event milestones. You can follow me on Instagram and see how your support has helped shape a young athlete's future.