Support George's Table Tennis Journey

Hi, my name is George Ristollari and I play table tennis. My ultimate goal for this sport is to represent Team USA in the Paralympics.

I train with my coach, Gary Fraiman, a two-time USA table tennis para coach of the year, and I train at Sunrise Table Tennis Club in Clearwater, Florida. I am very fortunate to have my coach and club help and support me throughout my journey.

As a Para Class 8 table tennis athlete proudly representing Team USA, I compete in tournaments across America, as well as internationally.

I started playing table tennis with my dad causally when I was younger, just for fun. It wasn't until the summer before 9th grade that I started to really take the sport seriously. That was when I started to train more consistently and realized how much the sport could really offer me.

What I love most about this sport is the sense of community that comes with it. Throughout my career, I have met amazing people with incredible stories, and I have had the opportunity to travel and connect with even more people who share the same passion.

One of my proudest moments in my career so far was reaching the quarterfinals of the Men's Singles Class 8 even at the ITTF World Para Future event in Lahti, Finland earlier this year in April. It was my first time competing overseas, and making it that far gave me the confidence to know I belong at that level. I also broke 1900 USATT rating which puts me in the top 20% of all registered tournament players in the U.S.

In the short term, I am focused on increasing my USATT rating and my world Para ranking so that I can be considered for more competitions, both inside the U.S and internationally. In the long run, I want to represent the United States at the Los Angles 2028 paralympic games.

Outside of table tennis, I am heading into my senior year of high school. I am currently enrolled in an early college program with my high school that allows me to take college classes at my local St. Petersburg College, and thanks to this opportunity I will be able to graduate with my AA degree as well as my high school diploma. When I graduate college I hope to attend the University of Florida to purse my interest in electrical engineering.

In my free time, I like to read books, swimming, and working on little hands on projects that I do for fun. Before I started taking table tennis more seriously I was a swimmer since I was 5, and I still swim often because it is great exercise and also relaxing to do as a sport.

The help that I receive here will be used towards training, tournament entry fees, and travel expenses such as flights and hotels.

My goal for now is to play in as many local/regional tournaments as possible in preparations for the larger international events that are my primary focus. Each tournament requires transport, day-to-day expenses such as food, entry fees, and more. Table tennis is an accessible sport, but it requires a considerable amount of resources to compete at a professional level.

Improving and competing in table tennis is a long process over the course of many years. I will gladly accept all support to help me reach my dreams. My immediate goal is to fund the rest of my 2025 training season, and these funds will help me continue my journey through 2026 and beyond. Any and all support is greatly appreciated.

Table tennis may be an individual sport, but it requires a lot of collaboration to reach the highest levels. Your support will help me pursue opportunities that will raise my game and get me closer to my goals, both in table tennis and in life.

I just wanted to thank everyone who has supported me this far in my journey. I wanted to thank my family, friends, Coach Gary Fraiman, Walter Page Harris, and Sunrise Table Tennis club for all of the support and for always helping me in sport and in life.