Brodi’s Pro Soccer Goal (Type 1 diabetic athlete)
Donation protected
Introduction:
Hey there! My name is Brodi Keefe. I live in Victoria British Columbia Canada and I am an athlete with type 1 diabetes. Since graduating from high school I was able to leverage a university degree from a soccer scholarship from two schools in the United States. I went to Peninsula College in Port Angeles WA graduating with a transfer degree and graduated from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha OK with a Bachelors of Science degree majoring in Business Administration with a double emphasis of Management and Accounting. After my university playing career finished when I graduated in April 2017, I took off to Thailand to persue a professional soccer career. I ended up signing a 1 year contract with a club named Rayong United. Unfortunately 5 days after signing, on Christmas Day, my contract was cancelled and I was dropped by the club with no explanation to my self or my Thai representative. I have now been back home in Victoria BC for 10 months.
I recently travelled down to Los Angeles to attend a professional soccer combine hosted by Professional Soccer Consulting. PSC hosted 8 combines across the United States over the past 2 months with approximately 100 players attending at each event. I caught the eye of the agency and I received an invite to their next tour through Spain and Portugal in March 2019. Selected players will be represented by PSC and will be competing against professional clubs in hopes of leveraging a contract. Because of my wrist surgery I had to decline the offer because I won't be healed fully in time. In response to turning down the offer, they extended their invitation and offered me a spot to their following tour to Sweden in August. I excepted the offer and secured a spot on the following tour.
Unfortunately soccer is a business and I will have to pay in order to attend.
I will be having wrist surgery on Wednesday January 23rd which will limit my ability to work at my job as a carpenter/labourer and office assistant at a commercial real estate appraising company.
It will be tough to save enough money for the trip. On top of diabetic supplies, the tour costs and the time required to train properly, I will have to subsidize all of that with out full time work.
Cost Break Down:
Without coverage Diabetic supplies cost around $18,000 a year. On Pharma Care I receive 80% coverage for some supplies but not my insulin or testing strips. Out of pocket I spend $350 on supplies per month.
Plane ticket which will cost around 700 Canadian.
The tour it self will cost $3399USD
it will cover all meals and accommodations plus professional coaching and consultation.
In order to train properly I will only be working part time as well as not being able to work for the first few weeks after my surgery.
I will have to cover my basic living expenses as well.
Conclusion:
I want to continue to be an example that type 1 diabetics can achieve the dream of becoming a professional athlete and that anything is possible.
Any and all support is more than generous and is greatly appreciated by myself and my family. I hope whoever reads this can relate and wants to help me achieve my dream of becoming a professional athlete with type 1 diabetes.
Hey there! My name is Brodi Keefe. I live in Victoria British Columbia Canada and I am an athlete with type 1 diabetes. Since graduating from high school I was able to leverage a university degree from a soccer scholarship from two schools in the United States. I went to Peninsula College in Port Angeles WA graduating with a transfer degree and graduated from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha OK with a Bachelors of Science degree majoring in Business Administration with a double emphasis of Management and Accounting. After my university playing career finished when I graduated in April 2017, I took off to Thailand to persue a professional soccer career. I ended up signing a 1 year contract with a club named Rayong United. Unfortunately 5 days after signing, on Christmas Day, my contract was cancelled and I was dropped by the club with no explanation to my self or my Thai representative. I have now been back home in Victoria BC for 10 months.
I recently travelled down to Los Angeles to attend a professional soccer combine hosted by Professional Soccer Consulting. PSC hosted 8 combines across the United States over the past 2 months with approximately 100 players attending at each event. I caught the eye of the agency and I received an invite to their next tour through Spain and Portugal in March 2019. Selected players will be represented by PSC and will be competing against professional clubs in hopes of leveraging a contract. Because of my wrist surgery I had to decline the offer because I won't be healed fully in time. In response to turning down the offer, they extended their invitation and offered me a spot to their following tour to Sweden in August. I excepted the offer and secured a spot on the following tour.
Unfortunately soccer is a business and I will have to pay in order to attend.
I will be having wrist surgery on Wednesday January 23rd which will limit my ability to work at my job as a carpenter/labourer and office assistant at a commercial real estate appraising company.
It will be tough to save enough money for the trip. On top of diabetic supplies, the tour costs and the time required to train properly, I will have to subsidize all of that with out full time work.
Cost Break Down:
Without coverage Diabetic supplies cost around $18,000 a year. On Pharma Care I receive 80% coverage for some supplies but not my insulin or testing strips. Out of pocket I spend $350 on supplies per month.
Plane ticket which will cost around 700 Canadian.
The tour it self will cost $3399USD
it will cover all meals and accommodations plus professional coaching and consultation.
In order to train properly I will only be working part time as well as not being able to work for the first few weeks after my surgery.
I will have to cover my basic living expenses as well.
Conclusion:
I want to continue to be an example that type 1 diabetics can achieve the dream of becoming a professional athlete and that anything is possible.
Any and all support is more than generous and is greatly appreciated by myself and my family. I hope whoever reads this can relate and wants to help me achieve my dream of becoming a professional athlete with type 1 diabetes.
Organizer
Brodi Keefe
Organizer
Victoria, BC