My name is Ashley Pernecker, and I am a 21-year-old track athlete from the Central Coast, NSW. Recently I have been selected to be part of the Australian u23's team to compete in Tonga later this year in the 400m, 800m and 400m hurdles, and will be my first time wearing the green and gold!

Competing at a National level for the past 10 consecutive years, I've competed in an array of events ranging from the 400m hurdles to the 3000m's, alongside the heptathlon- where I placed 3rd in Australia back in 2019. Given my passion for track, I studied and competed at an NCAA D1 College in America on a full Scholarship for a year, before returning back home where I am now currently studying as a full-time student at the University of Newcastle in a Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

Being reunited with my childhood Coach and squad- who I have been a part of since the age of 8, I went on to achieve multiple lifetime personal bests across the 400m and 800m in the 2024/25 track season, and became the NSW u23's State Champion in the 800m's. Following the 2025 Australian Track and Field Championships held in Western Australia, and UniSport National Championships held in Queensland, I received the exciting and unexpected news that I had been selected to represent Australia on an International Stage.

Unfortunately, the expenses associated with track and field are quite high as this is often a self-funded sport. As a result, I am required to contribute towards airfares, uniforms, entry fees and accommodation, as well as continued expenses with track and gym memberships, physiotherapy appointments, and paying off my uni degree. In my limited spare time, I work in a casual job in an attempt to pay off these increasing expenses, but clashes with uni timetabling, training, and track competitions makes my availability quite limited.

Given I have also qualified for the 2026 Australian Track and Field Championships, I am seeking your support to help fund towards these exciting sporting opportunities. It has always been my dream to one day wear the green and gold and to become a paediatric oncologist. Your contribution will help in making this dream a potential reality.