Hello,

I'm Sydney Farthing, and I'm asking for your help to pursue a dream that connects my past to my future.

What Just Happened:

I was just accepted into the Transom Traveling Workshop - one of the most prestigious audio storytelling programs in the country. Out of hundreds of applicants nationally, they selected 10 people. I'm one of them.

Transom is the training ground for producers at NPR, This American Life, Radiolab, 99% Invisible, and major podcasts. Alumni have won Peabody Awards and Murrow Awards.

Why This Matters:

My grandmother, Viola Thompson, played professional baseball in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1944-1947 (yes, like "A League of Their Own").

At 22 years old, she left her job as Athletic Director at Mills Mill in Greenville, South Carolina, and boarded a train to Chicago - the first train ride of her life. She was terrified. She was also determined.

For four seasons, she pitched for the Milwaukee Chicks, Grand Rapids Chicks, and South Bend Blue Sox. She was a pioneer who did something women weren't supposed to do.

She passed away in 2017, and I never fully understood the magnitude of her courage while she was alive.

What I'm Doing:

I'm producing a podcast for the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) that follows her footsteps from Greenville to the Midwest - literally retracing her route this summer. The timing is perfect: the new Women's Pro Baseball League is launching in 2026 after 72 years. I'll be connecting the pioneers who paved the way with the players picking up where they left off.

The Transom workshop will give me professional audio storytelling skills to tell her story - and stories like hers - at the highest level.

What I Need:

I received a $1,250 scholarship (I'm so grateful!), but I need to raise:

$1,500 for remaining workshop tuition (due February 13th)

$500 for travel to California and Catalina Island

Total goal: $2,000

How You Can Help:

$10 = buys me a meal during the workshop

$25 = contributes to ferry to Catalina Island

$50 = helps cover workshop materials

$100 = makes a significant dent in tuition

$250+ = you're basically a superhero

If you can't contribute financially, sharing this campaign helps tremendously.

Why Now:

My grandmother got on that train in 1944 with courage I'm still trying to understand. She didn't wait for permission. She didn't let fear stop her. She just went.

Now it's my turn to take the leap.

Thank you for being part of my village. For believing in me even when I struggle to believe in myself. For helping me honor a woman who deserves to have her story told.

With deep gratitude,

Sydney