At just 16, Mackenzie Macdonald is already one of Australia’s most accomplished young Taekwondo athletes. A nine-time National Champion, ten-time International Medallist, 3rd Dan Black Belt, and now a three-time Team Australia representative at World Championship events, Mackenzie is currently ranked number two nationally, recognised as a Tier 1 High Performance Athlete - recently announced as a member of the Fighting Futures Squad - for Australian Taekwondo.

While Australian Taekwondo continues to strengthen its athlete pathways, funding is limited. As a result, families must self-fund substantial costs, including Club memberships, compulsory training commitments, competition entry fees, compulsory uniforms, airfares, accommodation, and specialist services. Mackenzie's appointment to the Fighting Futures Squad will reduce some of these expenses, with the aim to increase her exposure to high-performance camps and international competition blocks. However, her World Championship campaign and Oceania Championships as a Team Australia representative are not funded. Additional events in her competition plan include the Korean Open, President's Cup and others are not subsidised.

The importance of early international exposure cannot be overstated. At the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, 17 of the 32 medallists had previously medalled at Cadet or Junior World Championships or the Youth Olympic Games. These pathways matter, and the athletes competing now are the ones with genuine potential to become future Olympic champions. With LA28 and Brisbane32 on the horizon, Mackenzie's training and competition exposure now - matters.

The estimated cost of Mackenzie’s 2025 campaign exceeded $20,000 of which she raised a little over $3000 in fundraising. The 2026 season, which includes a European Tour, the World Championships in Uzbekistan and the Youth Olympic campaign, will exceed this cost. This fundraising campaign has been open since 2023 and we invite you to support Mackenzie’s dream.

Mackenzie is now proudly aligned with the Aussie Athlete Fund, an organisation dedicated to supporting aspiring Green and Gold athletes and their development journeys. Mackenzie has now been promoted to the Elevate32 program, where just 32 Australian athletes are mentored through an elite masterclass relating to brand, social media and fundraising www.aussieathletefund.com

We now humbly ask for your support to help Mackenzie continue her international Taekwondo journey for the 2026 season with confirmation of a European Tour and Oceania Championships in Sydney during March, as well as the World Championships in Uzbekistan in April. This is just the beginning of a huge season ahead.

Thank you for your support, large or small. It truly matters.