Hi, I am Chelsea Peters, I am 16 and have been selected to represent the NZ U17s womens indoor netball team at the Indoor Netball Junior World Series in South Africa in July this year.

I need funding to help me to be able to get there, as this sport is self funded.  I am currently in year 12 at high and only manage to find casual employment during the summer months. I am number 2 of 4 children, my mum works 30 hours per week and studies full time in the hope to be able to gain better employment.

My early years as a baby were challenging, I became very ill with pneumonia and following this I contracted meningitis.  Regardless of my condition, I have represented Netball Waitakere as a representative player for the past 5 years, I have also been a representative for Tamaki Makaurau Netball Nationals Team for the past 5 years as well as representing Tonga and Niue in Netball.  I have also represented Auckland Touch and Tamaki Touch for the last 5 years during the summer whilst also competing in the Super League indoor netball competition and nationals.  This year I played in the U23s grade and was the youngest player in the country to take the court in this mixed competition.

My passion for sport has also helped me to connect with my community, when I’m not training or competing I’m out there coaching, officiating and sharing my knowledge and expertise. I spend time in between games supporting either school teams or club teams offering advice or just being their water girl. I also spend much of my spare time helping to organise and plan community events, programmes and activities, often volunteering to lead games, or coordinate our teams to support.

My mum always says that ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard’ and she always says that I’m the ‘Hard Work’, I won’t let anything hold me back, I work hard to get what I want and I master the task before moving onto the next step.

Next year I hope to achieve sports captain for school, as well as attain all the credits necessary to gain entry into Law at the University of Auckland.

I have not let my condition slow me down, I work hard and set my sights on completing any task I begin. Being able to represent NZ is not only a great opportunity, but it proves to everyone that no matter how many challenges or obstacles you face you can get through them.