Hi, my name is Tenealle, and I am a dedicated water polo athlete from Brisbane, Australia, with my sights set on representing Australia at the 2028 LA Olympic Games. I am partnered with BDO Australia within the Aussie Athlete Fund $1 Million Challenge, powered by Ampol Australia in the race against time to raise $10k by October 31st.

A little bit about me:

I am 22 years old and was born and raised in the suburbs of Brisbane. Coming from a family of elite swimming athletes, my father, Greg Fasala, competed in the 1984 Olympic Games. While swimming wasn’t my passion, I discovered my love for water polo in primary school. My mum, who also played water polo growing up, immediately signed me up for the same club she played for, the Brisbane Barracudas.

Over the years, I have achieved significant milestones in my career, including winning gold at the World Intercontinental Cup and being selected for the past three World Aquatic Championships (2022 Budapest, 2023 Fukuoka, and 2024 Doha). One of my most cherished memories is playing in front of over 6,000 spectators at the quarter-final in Hungary during my first World Championships.

For the past four years, my goal was to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Unfortunately, my dream was shattered at the start of May when I received the news that I had not been selected for the Olympic Team. Despite this devastating setback, I chose to persevere and accepted the role of an Olympic Games reserve to help my team prepare for the upcoming Games. This decision was incredibly difficult, as it meant choosing between returning home to my family and job for financial support or traveling with the team and doing all the hard work without pay and without the reward of competing in the Games.

As an elite athlete, I train over 28 hours a week, spend more than 6 hours in team meetings, and study nursing for over 12 hours weekly between sessions. Additionally, I travel outside of my home state/country for more than six months a year. This leaves me with little to no ability to work and support the financial burden of competing on the international stage. Your support will fund my training expenses, including recovery equipment, pool entry, training equipment, travel to and from training/competitions, massage therapy, and physiotherapy. Additionally, it will help ease ongoing home financial burdens such as rent and groceries.

In the short term, my goal is to learn and improve my game as much as I can as a reserve and help my team perform their best at the Olympic Games. My long-term goal is to make the 2028 LA Olympic Games and participate in any and all international lead-up events for the next cycle. Outside of my sport, I aim to graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing and become a Nurse Anaesthesiologist.

This is where I need your help. Your generous contributions will directly support my training, competition expenses, and necessary equipment, allowing me to focus on achieving my dream. Every donation, no matter the size, brings me one step closer to the Olympics.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for considering supporting my journey. Together, we can make history at the 2028 LA Olympics