Commonwealth Games Gold Goal

Hi friends, family, colleagues and complete strangers

I’m so happy to have gained selection into this year’s Commonwealth Games team. It’s an incredible honour and privilege to earn the fern for the fifth time!

I read the other day that NZ has, so far, achieved 610 medals at Commonwealth Games since 1930. I have two of them, and I would love to make it three in a few weeks time.

I’m sure you can appreciate that it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifices to gain selection at this level, and have a real chance of adding another Commonwealth medal to the tally. It also costs a lot. I don’t meet the criteria for funding from High Performance Sport NZ so all of my training, trialling and preparation expenses come out of my own pocket, and they soon add up!

It’s difficult for me to ask for donations towards my Commonwealth Game campaign expenses. In many ways I don’t really think I deserve to ask because this campaign is my goal (it's my choice to incur all these expenses). But at the same time, to be the most prepared, to have the best chance of repeating my gold medal winning performance from the last Games, I need a bit more money, and my own pockets are now well and truly bare. Somehow, over the coming weeks I need to scrape together about $6000, which will bring the total cost of my campaign to around $45 000. So I’m asking for your help.

You’ll notice that I have left the campaign target open. That's because the next generation of NZ shooters also could use your help. If the total value of the donations to this page exceeds $15 000 (which will cover upcoming expenses as well as clear a bit of current Games related debt) I will contribute the rest to the purchase of electronic targets for the use of outdoor shooters in my club, the TSNZ Junior Development Squad and the smallbore and air rifle shooters of New Zealand.

We do not yet have enough electronic targets in NZ to run world standard events – it would be awesome to change this so the next generation of shooters coming through the ranks will be able to train under the conditions they will experience in any international event and so be more prepared and have the best chance to achieve their own international representation goals (from Oceania Championships to the Olympic Games).

Please note: If you are donating and are connected in any way to New Zealand’s primary industries please make your donation anonymously as a guest.

My day job with the Ministry for Primary Industries means that it would be a conflict of interest to knowingly accept gifts or donations from people or organisations subject to legislation administered by MPI.

I would love to be able to thank everyone personally, but I do rely on my day job as my main (often only) source of income/funding so I really can’t do anything to jeopardise it. Please know though that I am so, soooo grateful for any donations I receive!!