Hi, we're Claire and Marcus, proud parents to 13-year-old Bella.

Like every parent, we've watched our daughter dream big. We've also witnessed the countless early mornings, late nights, sacrifices and unwavering determination she's shown to turn those dreams into reality.

Today, Bella has the incredible honour of being selected to represent Great Britain at the UIPM World Championships in Madeira—an opportunity she has earned through years of dedication, resilience and hard work.

Behind every medal is a story that few people see.

There have been countless early mornings, late evenings, freezing winter training sessions, weekends spent travelling across the country instead of relaxing with friends, and thousands of hours of training. Bella has overcome injuries, battled severe eczema that once made swimming incredibly painful, and continued to push herself even when things became difficult. Through it all, she has never lost sight of her dream.

Away from sport, Bella works just as hard. She consistently achieves the highest grades at school, earning Grade 8s and 9s in her core subjects while balancing an intensive training schedule. She also excels in drama, gaining distinctions in every LAMDA examination and recently played one of the main characters in her school production. Her commitment, determination and work ethic shine through in everything she does.

Bella is the current under 17 National Laser Run Champion and has proudly represented Great Britain internationally. Every competition brings her another step closer to her ultimate ambition of representing Team GB at the 2032 Olympic Games.

This October could become one of the biggest months of her sporting journey. Alongside competing at the World Championships in Madeira, Bella is also hoping to compete at the Olympic Hopes competition in Poland, where she would compete across all four modern pentathlon disciplines—fencing, swimming, obstacle racing (OCR) and laser run. Competing against the world's best young athletes would provide invaluable experience as she continues progressing through the British Pentathlon pathway towards her Olympic dream.

Unfortunately, representing your country comes with significant financial costs.

Unlike many people realise, athletes and their families are responsible for funding much of the journey themselves. Flights, accommodation, entry fees, GB team costs and specialist equipment all have to be paid for.

As a family, we are currently facing financial hardship following a substantial reduction in our household income. Despite this, we are determined that finances alone should not prevent Bella from taking opportunities that she has earned through years of dedication and hard work.

As parents, it is heartbreaking to know that your child has worked hard enough to represent her country, yet the cost of getting there is so difficult to meet.

As Bella progresses to international competition, the standard of equipment required also increases significantly. She now needs FIE-approved fencing equipment, which is mandatory for international competition and comes at a considerable cost. A single FIE épée costs around £240, and Bella requires at least two or three to train and compete safely. She also needs FIE-approved breeches, protective clothing and other specialist competition kit, alongside travel and accommodation costs.

Your support will help fund:

Below is a breakdown of the costs Bella needs to cover for the World Championships, Olympic Hopes and the specialist equipment required to compete safely at international level.

Expense Cost

✈️ Return flights to Madeira £260

Accommodation (Madeira) £400

World Championships entry fees £180

Official GB team kit £180

✈️ Return flights to Poland (Olympic Hopes) £200

Accommodation (Poland) £250

Olympic Hopes entry fees (approx.) £120

⚔️ FIE-approved épées (3 × £293) £879

FIE-approved breeches £232

FIE-approved jacket £226

FIE-approved plastron £112.60

FIE-approved mask £270

Fencing kit & weapon bag £422

Fencing shoes £165

Estimated total: £3,896.60

This total does not include meals, airport transfers, local transport, travel insurance, additional training costs or any unforeseen competition expenses.

Every donation, no matter how small, will help Bella continue chasing a dream she has worked tirelessly to pursue.

If you are unable to donate, simply sharing Bella's story could make all the difference. Every share helps us reach more people who may be able to support a young athlete with big ambitions and an unwavering determination to succeed.

Thank you for taking the time to read Bella's story and for believing in her journey. Your kindness, generosity and encouragement mean more to our family than words can ever express.

We hope that one day we'll look back on this page and remember that so many people played a small part in helping a determined 13-year-old girl take one more step towards standing on an Olympic start line.

From the bottom of our hearts,

Claire, Marcus & Bella