Medal hopeful's money hurdles

Commonwealth Games medal hopeful Rebecca Wardell has come up with a novel way of giving her campaign budget a much-needed leg-up – selling off her prized personalised number plate.

Wardell is chasing a medal in the heptathlon at this year's Games to be held in Delhi.

But to give her a decent crack at success the 32-year-old needs $20,000 to cover costs of a two-month training camp to be held in Europe.

Her fund-raising initiative includes selling off the HURDLR personalised number plate – given to her when she was a world-ranked 400m hurdler.

"`I thought selling it off might be a good way of raising a bit of cash. I thought someone might want to use it," Wardell told Sunday News.

"A personalised plate starts at about $500 up. So anything from there upwards would be great.

"But because it is sitting on the shelf doing nothing, probably a couple of hundred bucks and I wouldn't mind. Something is better than nothing.

"I was given it as a gift when I was doing 400m hurdles.

"Then when I switched to heptathlon I wasn't a hurdler any more. Since then it has been sitting on the shelf."

Wardell finished seventh in the heptathlon competition at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. She was ranked 23rd at the Beijing Olympics.

Her hunt for cash further highlights the haves and have-nots of New Zealand sport.

While leading All Blacks and Black Caps pull in six-figure sums, she said it was a "different story" with athletics.

"I am a student as well and I have to pay my coach and pay for all the stuff when we go overseas. Any bit of cash is helpful," she said.

"Last year my training partner Sarah Cowley and I sold wine to raise money to go to Europe.

"We have had a few innovative ideas. We might do that again because it was awesome – everyone loves fine wine and it was pretty easy to sell."

Wardell – a transport engineering student – said her goal for Delhi was simple: "I am looking for a medal at the Commonwealth Games. It may be a bit of a big ask – but if you don't dream big, you don't get it."

But first she needs a sizeable cash injection.

"I have been lucky with people helping me out with sponsorship, a few loans from mum and dad and some funding from Sparc and Athletics New Zealand," she said.

"I am definitely not making money out of it.

"But I see that as almost making the challenge bigger and the reward greater. It is like that if you have to fight for it, and it hasn't been handed to you on a plate.

"It has forced me to study or work, which long-term sets me up to be in a better place when I do retire. It is a bit of a blessing in disguise I guess."

Anyone wishing to making an offer can contact Wardell at: rebecca.wardell@gmail.com

- © Fairfax NZ News