Please help me win rowing gold for NZ at the World Under 23 Rowing Champs in Bulgaria

My Name is Ben Kirsop and I'm proud to say that I'm a rower from Cambridge. Rowing is my life and I intend to take it as far as I can go.

I have just been selected to represent New Zealand stroking the Men's U23 Double Scull at the World U23 Rowing Champs in Plovdiv Bulgaria in July and I need your help to get there.

I have worked hard over the last 5 years and have improved as a rower each season along the way. After winning a bronze medal at Maadi Cup in the U18 single sculls I was selected and represented NZ at the Junior World Championships in Brazil in 2015 and then selected for the NZ U21 squad in 2016. I am currently a member of the Waikato Regional Performance Centre. The highlight of my rowing career so far was placing 4th in the world at the 2015 Junior World Champs in Rio, Brazil – missing out on a medal by less than 1 second!

I am a Cambridge resident and have a lot of loyalty towards my home town. I feel proud to be the first ever student from Cambridge High School to be selected for the New Zealand Junior Rowing Team and am still very proud of my local school and rowing club and remain loyal to them.

My family are very proud of me and have been very supportive of my rowing career. Financially the last 2 years have been difficult as we are required to pay for any costs associated with gaining a place in a New Zealand squad. I try to support myself as much as possible by working part time but am discouraged from working while in training for an upcoming World championship regatta. If you help me I promise I will work hard and do everything I can to bring back a gold medal for New Zealand as part of my crew.

The cost involved in taking part in the World Champs are as follows:

The Tour Contribution is $7,000 paid to Rowing New Zealand. This covers all travel, accommodation and the cost of transporting the boats etc and our uniforms (Black of course!).

Thank you for considering any support that you might be able to give me.

All funds raised will go directly to pay my athlete contribution towards the tour expenses.