My name is Laila Khan. I’m a 17-year-old Taekwondo athlete from Ottawa and Canada’s 2025 Senior National Champion in Olympic-style sparring. I was honored as the 2025 Senior Female MVP at Nationals this year. 

In 2024, I traveled to many international tournaments and training camps at the highest level. Representing Canada, I won silver at the Pan American Championships in the first year that I could compete as a Senior.

Taekwondo is an Olympic sport, and competing internationally requires intense training and constant travel. I train at least six days a week, attend school online, and regularly attend training camps across Canada and the United States. During the high season, I’m on the road with my coach two to three times a month. These training camps and competitions are vital for developing as an athlete.

Taekwondo Canada selected me this year to compete at the Grand Prix Challenge in Charlotte, North Carolina, and represent Canada at the World Championships in Wuxi, China. I will also compete at other open tournaments across the world - already this year, I won a bronze medal at the Belgian Open in Belgium.

Training and competitions come with significant financial costs. Travel, competition fees, training camps, physiotherapy, personal training, and working with a nutritionist all add up. The estimated cost of my 2025 training year exceeds $30,000. While I am grateful for the support I have received from sponsors and organizations, the expenses far outweigh the available funding.

Because of this, I am reaching out to you. Your financial assistance will allow me to seize these opportunities and stay competitive internationally. Your support helps me continue my journey of representing Canada on the global stage.

Thank you so much for considering my GoFundMe! Every contribution makes a difference, and even if you’re unable to donate, sharing this post would mean the world to me. To follow my progress, you can find me on Instagram @lailakhan_tkd, and I’ll also post updates here.