Quick Facts

• $25,933 raised (and still growing)
• 101 Donations
• $83 average donation

Growing up, Aislin spent her weekends hanging around at the Gun Club while her dad, Dave, practised, busying herself with picking up unbroken clay targets and collecting empty shotgun shells. It wasn’t until she was 12 that Dave gave her the chance to try the sport herself.

After recognising that his gun was a bit too powerful, Dave purchased a smaller second-hand shotgun for $600, planning to sell it if the hobby didn’t take off. Little did he know, that would be the starting point of Aislin’s career as a skeet shooter and two-time Olympian.  

Dave connected with two-time Olympic shooter Lauryn Mark, who agreed to train both the father and daughter, and then after recognising Aislin’s natural talent, quickly made the 12-year-old her primary focus. After just a few months of training, the three sat down together and wrote an eight-year plan to get Aislin to the Olympics by 2020. However, after competing in her first senior event in early 2016, her plan was cut short by four years, and she was selected for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

“Four years prior, I was sitting on the couch watching the Olympics on the TV, and now this whole eight-year plan had been, I guess shortcut by four years.”

At just 16 years old, Aislin was Australia’s youngest ever Olympic shooter and one of the youngest members of the Australian Olympic team. Although her family couldn’t make the journey to Rio with her, they easily spotted her in the opening ceremony as she walked in the front row of the Australian team.

After narrowly missing out on the Tokyo Olympics, Aislin took some time off from the sport to experience life as a normal 20-year-old. Now, she’s back and more ready than ever.

“I came back to the sport with a different perspective. I think I had more balance and mental resilience coming into selections this year, but I also had a really strong goal for myself of wanting to make that team. I knew it was important to me and I was doing it for the right reasons.”

Eight years after Rio, Aislin is currently in Paris, waiting to compete in her second Olympics. While it’s a dream come true, it’s a journey that doesn’t come cheap. 

Although for Rio, Aislin was fortunate enough to have financial support from her parents to make the journey possible, her trip to Paris and the lead-up to qualifications has been a costly expense. To qualify for the team, Aislin had to reduce her hours at work to focus on training, and despite receiving some funding from the AIS, “it, unfortunately, doesn’t really put a dent in the costs associated” with attending the Olympics.

“Whilst I’m very fortunate that I’m in a position now where I’ve got some equipment and ammunition sponsors, I’ve still got rounds to pay for practice in training, then the costs of getting food, and everything overseas, as well as all of the domestic travel for selection events.” 

Together, Aislin and Dave sat down at the end of 2023 to make a budget for her Olympic qualification. Realising Aislin would be up to $60,000 out of pocket by the end of her campaign, they turned to the ASF to help her achieve her goals—both for Paris and beyond.

AISLIN’S THREE KEYS TO FUNDRAISING SUCCESS:

1.        Strategic community engagement

2.        Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable

3.        Acknowledging supporters

YOU DON'T GET IF YOU DON'T ASK

One of the biggest barriers that athletes face when it comes to fundraising is asking for support. Understandably, many find it intimidating and uncomfortable, and Aislin was no different, but in order to make her dreams a reality, she recognised she had to push these feelings aside.

“I didn’t really have a choice at the start of this year in terms of asking for support. I couldn’t have done it otherwise. It just wasn’t an option, so I had to make peace with that.”

After acknowledging the importance of having support from the broader community, and a bit of encouragement from Dave, Aislin shared her fundraising project on her Facebook account. In the post, she made herself “a little bit vulnerable” and explained that she couldn’t get to Paris alone.

The initial response was incredibly positive, making it easier to ask again and again. Aislin began “drip feeding” her project link in her posts, reminding people that she still needed their support, and each time she would see one or two people donate. 

As Aislin and Dave both recognise, the worst that people will say is no.

“It’s not personal. Some people aren’t able to support and that is totally okay. But they might support in other ways. They might share my post or something like that. It’s not just about the financial support.”

As her biggest supporter, Dave sends her quotes every now and then to remind her that asking for help is okay. This helps Aislin remember that: 

 “People have chosen to support me so far. I think about this when I’m asking for support. They wouldn’t do it if they didn’t want to, and I am a good person and I try to represent the sport and my area in a positive way and encourage other people to go for their dreams. So, I hope that positive impact encourages people to take pride in supporting me.”

It's vital that athletes remember that people will choose for themselves whether or not to support you, but you first have to give them the option.

NURTURING COMMUNITY CONNECTION

The Gippsland community rallied behind Aislin, but it wasn’t without effort on her part.

Aislin and Dave had business cards printed with QR codes on them to hand out when she went to do speaking events. At these events, they would also place posters on the table with a QR code directing to Aislin’s ASF project. They also designed and printed flyers that included Aislin’s bio, an explanation of her journey, and a QR code.

“A lot of it was walking into local businesses. and just showing up with a flyer, doing a spiel and just asking whether they could provide any support”

By just showing up in person and introducing herself, Aislin found that many businesses in her community were happy to display her flyer in their windows or on their counters, helping to build awareness of her cause.

These sorts of interactions led local businesses to provide unique forms of support. KP’s Eatery in Lakes Entrance selected and promoted an item on their menu, and for each item sold, they donated $1 to Aislin’s fundraiser. Bulmers Gifts in Lakes Entrance made Aislin the recipient in May/June of gold coin donations for their gift wrapping initiative.   

ACKNOWLEDGING DONORS

Without her donors, Aislin’s journey to Paris may not have even been possible, so she acknowledges how important it is to express her gratitude. 

For individual donors, she’s taken to Facebook to thank them and even made phone calls where possible to add an even more personal element.

“Most of the time they just brush it off and don’t expect anything for it, but I think they do appreciate it.”     

However, when it comes to businesses, Aislin takes it up another notch and makes sure to thank them in special ways. One such way is by doing a shout-out on her Facebook page. 

“They’ve donated not expecting anything in return, but it’s nice to just show some appreciation and encourage other people to support their business.”  

Another way she shows her appreciation is by taking a photo with the business, framing it and signing it with a message of thanks.

“They can put that up in their office or in their showroom. It can be a talking point as well for them having support an Olympian's journey.”  

Research shows that sending a personalised thank you to first-time donors within 48 hours makes them 4x more likely to donate again. No matter how you do it, what matters is that you show your gratitude.

AISLIN'S TOP TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME FUNDRAISERS

When asked what advice she would give to an athlete who’s just starting their fundraising journey, Aislin stated: 

“It’s going to feel uncomfortable asking for help, but the relationships and support that come out of it is so worth that little bit of discomfort, you just don’t know where it could lead you, who you could meet just putting yourself out there.”

She also added:

“You can’t just post it [your ASF project] once. It’s not going to sit there and magically fill up in the background. It takes constant effort and constant work, but also having someone else to support you on that fundraising journey, whether it’s two athletes doing it together, or an athlete and a parent or sibling. It takes teamwork to make these things successful.”

To support Aislin on her journey at the Paris Olympic Games, you can donate to her project here: https://asf.org.au/projects/aislin-jones/paris-selection-series--training--travel

She’s also partnered with the Aussie Athlete Fund in an effort to create some security for her future as an athlete. To support her journey beyond Paris, head to: https://asf.org.au/projects/aislin-jones/aislin-jones-to-paris--beyond

WATCH AISLIN IN ACTION: