Hi & thank you for reading about my fundraiser!

For those who don't know me, I am a Brisbane-based Vet Nurse and Powerlifter. I am trying to raise funds to get me to two interstate competitions later this year.

A bit about me: I am always awkward talking about myself but here it goes!

I am 43yrs old and have been a competitive powerlifter competing primarily with GPC Australia for now 6yrs. Before lifting, I did a couple of years of Bodybuilding and before that, I was a proper couch potato with zero sporting background. During the last 6yrs, I have stood on the podium 12 times and taken 1 world record and 2 Australian records across 2 federations. If I am not competing, you can find me at almost every comp helping to man the attempt desk, manage the gate and pins, referee, help with weigh-ins or just plain being there to support others around the gym.

I've now Qualified for GPC Nationals for the 4th year in a row. Unfortunately for me, despite qualifying, I've never been able to compete at Nationals due to Covid year 1, Covid year 2 and torn adductor year 3. I am hoping that it is 4th year lucky. Nationals is scheduled to be in Newcastle in August this year. In addition to Nationals, I have the opportunity to travel with my team to a WRPF event in Orange NSW in October to compete against some of the country's best lifters, an opportunity I've never had come up before and one I'd like to take before I'm too old and broken to be this competitive.

So why am I asking for help? Well without going into a lot of detail, vet nursing does not pay well. Your local Coles checkout person earns more. Last year, I placed all my savings into fitting out and opening my own veterinary practice. I did this because the veterinary industry is in crisis, with the highest suicide rates in the country. I have known now more colleagues to have taken their life than I can count on my hands. The stress associated with the emotional pressures of veterinary care has sent a large volume of staff to other industries where they can be paid much more and work with far less emotional pressure. Clinics are so overwhelmed thanks to the lack of staff available that now pet owners are struggling to get pet care for days, weeks and sometimes at all as many clinics have extended appointment wait times and are even closing their doors to new patients. I, along with a vet friend, opened our practice as a place where vets and other pet care providers can come and run their own business, under their own terms (ie the hours they can work, not the hours they are required by their boss to work, seeing the types of cases they have the skillset for) without having to foot the cost and stress of opening their own practice. Additionally, my business partner and I work together to provide a veterinary service to pet owners. We have unusual and extended open days for greater accessibility outside of work hours and we work together with our clients to find solutions within their budget, whilst they undergo their own financial pressures that the current climate is bringing. We hope to make a positive impact on the industry as a whole, reducing the pressures of those in and using the industry.

Why does this have anything to do with my sport? Opening a business is hard work and expensive. It takes time to grow. As a result for the entire year so far, I have worked 7 days a week. I work 3 nights in the ER as an employee so I can afford to pay my mortgage, and the other 4 days a week are in my practice, where we currently earn enough to pay me 10hrs a week. This means that I am working every week in a clinic close to 70hrs, and being paid around 30hrs (at min wage). Somehow, I am still maintaining my training on top of this. And continue to be competitively strong. But it is not sustainable this way.

Your help will enable me to not just attend the two largest competitions I've attempted. But also help me to access the services to get strong and stay injury free. Paying for coaching, gym membership, massage therapy, physio and chiro etc, along with travelling interstate twice adds up. If I have more than 7 days a week to work to cover the costs myself, I would. Without any help, I plan to essentially cross my fingers that I get there in 1 piece, whilst working 7 days a week to stay afloat as I cannot afford more than my coach and gym membership costs.

If you are in a position to help me with donations, I'd appreciate any assistance that you can offer. If you cannot afford to help but do own pets and are local to me, perhaps you might consider using my practice for your veterinary care, as this does indirectly support me.

I cannot make any promises for how this will pan out. But I can promise I will keep you all updated and do my best to stay in 1 piece and make it to both platforms.

If you made it this far through my waffling, I appreciate you xx