Please help Angie Petty race in America & Europe in hope of qualifying for World Champs and chase her Olympic dream!

I am a New Zealand Olympian from Christchurch in the sport of Athletics, specialising in the 800m.

Athletics has been a major part of my life since I was 10 years old, and last year I reached one of my life time goals, becoming an Olympian after many years of hard training. My next major goal is to take that experience to the next level, and become an Olympic medallist. I am only 25 years old so hope to go a lot faster yet. I want to be the best athlete I can be, whilst continuing to be a good role model to up and coming athletes.

I am the current World University Games 800m Champion, came 5th in the 800m final at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and hold the New Zealand record for 1000m as well as the Canterbury records for both 800m and 1500m. After reaching the sport’s pinnacle event, the Olympic Games, in 2016, I want to continue chasing my dreams, including my aim to be an Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist, as I look towards the World Champs this August, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next year and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Domestic success and supporting the sport in New Zealand is also important to me. In March this year I was so grateful and happy to have won the New Zealand Track and Field Champs senior 800m and 1500m titles. This was my third time winning the double and my sixth consecutive national senior 800m title.

In hope of qualifying for this Augusts World Champs and next years (April 2018) Commonwealth Games, I left New Zealand on the 18th of April and am currently based for training in Seattle with my coach and an elite American track team and will soon be competing in races around the USA (1st race 5th of May) and then to race in Europe. My 800m personal best of 1.59.06 is well under the qualifying times for these two global events, so I believe I have a good chance of qualifying within the period. With the domestic season finished the only opportunity to qualify is overseas races. I had a good domestic season, equal to my previous best and am peaking for overseas. I am really enjoying training with my coach and his squad in Seattle in a high performance environment, it is my first time to America. I then plan to go to Europe late June/early July to race and ultimately compete at the World Champs (5-13 August).

Although I receive some funding (reduced a lot this year) which I am super grateful for, I have to cover a lot of costs on my own this year including travel to races and training in America and Europe, accommodation, medical (eg physio), race entries, etc. Fitting in my big volume of training (up to 11 times per week) while studying towards a Bachelor of Arts in Education, means I am unable to work much this semester. However I did work as a teacher aide last term and have been relieving at a preschool over the last 7 years as well as holiday jobs etc. My husband works hard and we are saving as much as we can, ran a raffle and fundraiser BBQ, but are still short of the costs needed for this years overseas athletics trip, which is all part of the journey towards my Olympic dream.

If you would like your donation to go towards a certain thing eg flights to races rather than accommodation at races please comment when you donate.

Thank you so very much for your support, I really do appreciate it so much!!!