HELP ME COMPETE AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Hi, my name is Russell, and I could use a little help.

I developed PTSD from my time in the Australian Army, part of which was a 10-month deployment in Afghanistan. This was diagnosed in 2016, 12 months after discharge, with multiple stays in hospital over the next 2 years.

As part of my rehabilitation post-discharge, in 2019, I started seeing an Exercise Physiologist twice a week to help with my severe depression and anxiety, as I had been struggling to leave home. During my time with the Exercise Physiologist, I discovered I enjoyed strength training as it helped me lower anxiety. After several discussions, I decided to try Olympic Weightlifting.

In January 2021, I joined a weightlifting club and quickly found I had a talent for it. In September of 2021, I competed in the Master’s National, Oceanic, and Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships.

I won gold.

This year, I have managed to qualify for the Master’s Weightlifting World Championships in Orlando, Florida. However, having just competed in, and won, the 2022 National and Oceanic Championships held in Melbourne on the 9th of September, the costs associated with international travel aren't exactly cheap

The competition runs from December 1 until December 10, with my aim to get there the day beforehand, the 30th of November. Thankfully the venue is offering discount accommodation, but it's still 11 days. As I can already have flights to Los Angeles from Australia, the funds will be used to help pay for domestic flights, transfers, and accommodation within the US.