A GOFUNDME page has been set up to help a Wellington athlete to chase her Olympic dream.

The page for Bella Whitelaw, set up by her parents Claire and Marcus Whitelaw is aiming to raise £1.1K after being selected to represent Great Britain at the UIPM World Championships in Madeira in October.

Currently the under 17 National Laser Run Champion, Bella has proudly represented Great Britain internationally bringing her another step closer to her ultimate ambition of representing Team GB at the 2032 Olympic Games.

Her mother Claire said: “There have been countless early mornings, late evenings, freezing winter training sessions, weekends spent travelling across the country instead of relaxing with friends, and thousands of hours of training.

“Bella has overcome injuries, battled severe eczema that once made swimming incredibly painful, and continued to push herself even when things became difficult. Through it all, she has never lost sight of her dream.”

Alongside competing at the World Championships in Madeira this October, Bella is also hoping to compete at the Olympic Hopes competition in Poland, where she would compete across all four modern pentathlon disciplines of fencing, swimming, obstacle racing (OCR) and laser run.

Unfortunately, this all comes at a cost say her parents. Her mother Claire added: “Unlike many people realise, athletes and their families are responsible for funding much of the journey themselves.

"Flights, accommodation, entry fees, GB team costs and specialist equipment all have to be paid for.

“As a family, we are currently facing financial hardship following a substantial reduction in our household income. Despite this, we are determined that finances alone should not prevent Bella from taking opportunities that she has earned through years of dedication and hard work.”

Donations to help Bella fund her Olympic dream can be made to her Gofundme page.