To anyone taking a moment to stop and read this, thank you. For those who don't know me, or don't know me that well yet, my name's Toby. I'm a 44 West Aussie guy determined to get out of a financial rut and earn my way to the safety and security of having my own roof over my head. I don't want to use my history of mental health challenges as pity-bait to elicit help from anyone, but those of you who know me well know I've had significant challenges with ADHD, PTSD and a raft of other acronyms. Yet I've remained proactive, accepted I had to pull myself up through my own sweat and tears and got on with it. Take a look at the main picture on the fundraiser, that's my first ever Strongman competition. To get to that point, I had to lose over 100kg without weight-loss surgery in four years and re-train my body to work with and through fibromyalgia. I think that's reasonable proof that I'm not asking anyone to save me and that I'm already working hard at saving myself.

The best description I ever heard of the point of GoFundMe is that it's meant to allow anyone to ask for their fair go. So I'm asking you all, please, consider helping me with my fair go at getting back into meaningful work and saving myself. My plan is to get into construction work as a slewing crane operator, then over five years I'll get my Cert IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, then the Diploma of Project Management. Exactly the same plan if I do get offered a job as a train driver, too. Here's what I'm aiming to raise funds for:

Dogging and Rigging course with high-risk work license: $2800

C6 Crane Ticket: $2200

Uniforms and pre-employment specialist medical clearance report: approx $1500

Thanks for your time and for considering helping me get my fair go, I really do look forward to validating everyone's faith in me.

Yours sincerely,

Toby