Dreams can come true
This past week, I had the privilege of witnessing our community rally together to make a dream a reality. It was a beautiful and humbling experience that I'm excited to share with you.
The situation: overcoming adversity with resilience
On Sunday, I hosted a charity soccer tournament for an incredible individual named Nicole Christodoulou. Nicole, a dedicated young high school home economics teacher from Liverpool in Sydney, faced a life-altering challenge following her second year of university—she suffered two strokes in a single night, leaving her left side paralysed. However, Nicole's unwavering determination refused to let this obstacle define her.
Nicole's journey to complete her degree extended to five years, but her passion for teaching remained undiminished. She has been teaching for four years now, and her love for the profession shines brightly. Since childhood, soccer has been her true passion, and she held onto the dream of representing her country on the field. Following years of relentless rehabilitation, her dream came true last year when she was selected to join the ParaMatilda's squad for the World Cup. And in just a few weeks, Nicole is hoping to once again proudly wear the green and gold jersey at the Para Asian Cup.
Supporting Nicole's dream: the charity soccer tournament
The soccer tournament's purpose was to raise funds to support Nicole's journey with the ParaMatildas, as they receive no government funding.
Finding the ground and resources
One of the initial challenges I faced was securing a soccer ground for the tournament. Fortunately, I was introduced to the incredible team at Malvern City FC, who graciously offered not only the ground but also all the necessary resources - from soccer balls, goals, and bibs to referees. They even handled the logistics of running the round-robin event. We raised a substantial $3,000 from the eight teams that registered to play.
Feeding the crowd and fundraising
Feeding the hungry attendees was the next challenge, and we decided to set up a barbecue. The local Freemasons Victoria districts came to our aid and managed the barbecue with ten dedicated Freemasons arriving at 10 am to set up, cook, and serve sausages and drinks throughout the day. This initiative resulted in an impressive $1,200 raised from the sausage sizzle.
Assembling the teams
A soccer tournament, of course, needs teams. I reached out to local businesses, Malvern City FC families, and the Stroke Foundation, and we successfully gathered eight teams. One of the highlights of the day was watching Nicole randomly join different teams, adding a unique touch to the tournament.
Bringing Nicole to Melbourne
Given that Nicole lives in Sydney, and the tournament took place in Melbourne, we had to arrange her travel. I'm grateful to my employer, OnePassport, which covered Nicole's airfare on Qantas and even provided her with a Qantas Club lounge pass for a VIP experience during the journey.
Extending the reach: GoFundMe campaign
Recognising that many people wanted to contribute but couldn't attend the event, I launched a GoFundMe page for Nicole. So far, we've received over $5,000 in donations.
Achieving the target: uniting for a common goal
Our initial goal for the event was to raise $10,000. Remarkably, we've surpassed the $9,000 mark, and with the continued generosity of our community, we're confident we'll reach our target. All this was accomplished in just seven weeks, starting from scratch. It's truly amazing what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause.
Dreams can come true
This experience has demonstrated that dreams can indeed come true. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a role in making this incredible journey a reality.
