My Journey to Kuala Lumpur

My name is Josie Couanon. I am a 13-year-old athlete who recently made a big pivot in my sporting life. For two and a half years, I trained as a competitive trampoline gymnast, where I worked hard to become dual State and Australian Champion. This year, I decided to transition my athletic background and work ethic over to soccer. It has been an incredible first season, and I was incredibly grateful to be fast-tracked to play up within a competitive women's team.

What I Am Raising Funds To Do

I am raising funds to help cover the travel and registration costs for an amazing opportunity. After being selected for a regional development squad as well as at Country Week, I was invited to represent our region internationally at the Subway Maxim Elite Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this November. Because youth regional sports tours are entirely self-funded, I am looking to raise money to help my family cover my return flights, team accommodation, meals, tournament kits, and event registration fees. My parents do a lot for me and I would like to be able to help out.

Why I Care About It

Soccer has quickly become my absolute passion. Transitioning from gymnastics to a team sport taught me so much about community, sportsmanship and working together on the pitch. Being selected to represent my region overseas in my very first season is a dream come true, and it represents the next major step in my athletic development. I care deeply about making the most of this opportunity, testing my skills against international talent, and making everyone back home proud.

How I Plan To Make It Happen

To prepare for Malaysia, I am training hard on the pitch 3 nights every week as well as 2-3 games per week with my coaches and teammates to ensure I am in peak physical and tactical shape. On the financial side, my family and I are launching this fundraising page alongside local community outreach to hit our target. Every single dollar raised here goes directly into a dedicated travel fund managed by my family to pay for the tour expenses.

How You Can Help

Any donation, no matter the size, gets me closer to boarding that flight to Kuala Lumpur and helps me lower the cost to my parents. They work hard and give up pretty much all of their spare time for me to chase my dreams. If you aren't in a position to contribute financially, sharing the link to this page with your friends, family, or sporting networks is just as valuable to me.

Thank you so much for reading my story and backing my soccer journey! 💖⚽️💖⚽️