Hi, my name is Sophie and I am a persistent and dedicated track sprint cyclist living in Brisbane Australia, aiming to represent Australia at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

I am 27 years old, and grew up in Perth, Western Australia, participating in a range of sports including athletics and surf life saving. In 2021, my hard work and consistency as a young athlete paid off and I became the Australian National beach sprint champion. Shortly after, at the age of 24, I was talent identified as a track sprint cyclist, and made the big decision to chase my dream of competing at the Olympics in an entirely new sport.

Since that decision I have relocated to Brisbane to train with the Queensland Academy of Sport. While transferring to a new sport as an adult has been challenging at times, I have been rewarded with seeing my own progression of skill and performance on the bike. In March 2024, I achieved two silver medals at the Australian Track National Championships, which was just my 3rd time competing at this level.

While these results were a great stepping stone for me, there remains pressure to continually improve and achieve categorisation standards. As an elite athlete, I train approximately 24h per week, plus numerous meetings and appointments. In addition to this, I am also completing my PhD in sport science, which requires about 15h per week. During our competition period, we will often travel to compete or compete mid-week. This leaves very little time to work and support the financial burden of being an elite athlete.

Your support will help fund training expenses, including equipment (bike maintenance, chains, wheels, helmets, shoes, cycling uniform), recovery equipment, massage therapy, competition travel and entry fees. It will also help ease the persistent burden of costs of living such as rent, groceries and medical equipment (type 1 diabetes products), and allow me to stay connected with my family back in Perth.

In the short term, my goal is to continue to develop and improve my skills and ability to produce power on the bike. Long term my goal is to compete at the LA 2028 Olympic Games, and all international lead up events (including World Championships and Commonwealth Games). I also hope to complete my PhD within the next year.

Generosity from people such as yourself will help support my training and competition expenses, and allow me to focus on training towards the Olympics, without the crippling financial burden. A donation of any amount goes a long way in helping me reach my goals.

Thank you for considering to support my journey and for reading my story. I hope to represent you, and the rest of Australia, in LA 2028