Catherine Choi's journey and road to Paris 2024 Olympics

Who am I?

Hi! My name is Catherine Choi, a full-time professional badminton player and a member of the Canadian National Badminton. My journey with badminton began at the young age of nine, and by ten, I had already secured my first tournament win. This early achievement was more than a win; it sparked passion and determination within me to dedicate myself to badminton for the years ahead. Today, I am ranked 28th for women's doubles players in the world, alongside my talented partner Josephine Wu, with a career-high ranking of 27th. Currently, our sights are firmly set on the 2024 Olympics, with an ambitious goal to break into the top 20 worldwide.

The Journey and Challenges

I have been competing full-time internationally since 2019, my journey has been both exhilarating and challenging. As a self-funded athlete, my financial support has primarily come from my family, placing a significant financial burden on them. To manage costs, we've often had to choose the most economical options for flights and accommodations, which sometimes means enduring longer transit times and a less ideal living condition. For instance, in terms of accommodations, rather than choosing hotels affiliated with the tournament, which offer direct transportation to the competition venues, we often opt for much more affordable alternatives. This means staying at locations further from the training and event venues, leading to longer and less reliable travel times. Such arrangements have taken a toll on my physical condition and recovery times. As we are on our road to the 2024 Olympics, we have been traveling weeks after weeks nonstop, competing in twice as many tournaments as we typically would. In 2023 alone, we participated in 23 tournaments, and with just one tournament left before the Olympic qualification period ends, alongside with the excitement, the pressure and pace have also intensified. The journey to the top is paved with more than just training; logistics play a crucial role in performance. Optimal travel arrangements, accommodations, and local transport can significantly enhance focus and game-day readiness. At the Pan Am Games, a seamless logistical experience underscored the importance of such details, allowing me to concentrate fully on my performance. With my final tournament coming up before the Olympic qualification ends, I am reaching out to you, asking for your support in helping me at the final push in achieving my dream of representing Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as well as my future journey and what it may hold for my badminton career.

Recent achievements includes:

Silver at the 2023 Polish Open International Challenge

GOLD at the 2023 Pan American Championship

Bronze at the 2023 Mexican International Challenge

Gold at the 2023 Guatemala International Challenge

Bronze at the 2023 Peru International Challenge

GOLD at the 2023 Pan American Games

Bronze at the 2023 Canadian International Challenge

Sliver at the 2024 Azerbaijan International Challenge

Bronze at the 2024 Polish Open International Challenge

Any support you can give, whether it’s making a donation, sharing this fundraiser link, or just dropping your supportive words in the comment, would be greatly appreciated.

In addition, I am currently also open to new sponsorship opportunities. If you or your organization are interested in supporting my journey to Paris 2024 and beyond, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through email or my social media account at instagram: catherinechoii.

Thank you for being a part of our journey!