Many talented young athletes are denied the opportunity to pursue their dreams of representing our country because they or their families can’t afford to fund training and competition.
The requirement for international travel, equipment, coaching, food and accommodation can mean that green and gold dreams are out of reach, especially for athletes from remote, rural and indigenous communities.

After years of investigation, engagement and passion, Nat Cook OAM OLY founded Green and Gold Athletes Australia Ltd – an innovative model to directly support aspiring elite young athletes. Nat’s own experiences, and those of fellow Olympians and Paralympians, highlight that many athletes selected to represent Australia are stymied by finances.

Green and Gold Athletes helps break down the barriers faced by our emerging elite athletes by providing access to funding, fundraising education and mentoring support – easing the burden an athlete faces once selected to represent Australia.

Green and Gold Athletes provide opportunities to offset the costs of competition, through matched funding; teach athletes and their families how to raise funds themselves, to achieve some financial independence; and be inspired by the presence and stories of our Green and Gold Greats.

The Green and Gold Athletes funding model of direct, bespoke athlete support and sustainability will provide a structured, nurturing pathway to ensure an athlete’s best chance on the field, the track, the court or in the pool.

Join us on our alchemist mission to turn Green into GOLD!

DISCLAIMER –

Green & Gold Athletes Australia Ltd is not affiliated in any way with the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, the Australian Olympic team, the Australian Paralympic team or the Olympic or Paralympic Movement.

Our goal is simple: zero heart-related deaths at football grounds in Australia.

It’s Personal!
Our charity has been on a long yet rewarding journey since 2015, when Andy witnessed his Forest Rangers FC teammate Matt Richardson die from a cardiac arrest playing over 35’s football. Two days later his good friend, Peter Katholos (ex-NSL and Socceroos player) witnessed his Belmore Hercules teammate die the same way.

It was obvious that something needed to be done to stop these deaths at football grounds.

Heartbeat of Football (HoF), a not-for-profit organisation, was established in early 2016 by media personality and football enthusiast Andy Paschalidis as a direct result of these events.

Heartbeat of Football promotes healthy hearts in sport via:

Awareness & Education: player, participant & community programs
Prevention: minimisation of health risks through simple screening checks
Action: “rescue-ready” defibrillators at all sporting fields across Australia

Note: we don’t directly sell defibrillators (AEDs) yet can suggest some trusted quality providers.

Clubfunders is a sports payment platform and mobile application, dedicated to serving families, athletes, clubs and sponsors.

Clubfunders sports sponsorship payments – making sponsorship fast, easy, flexible, and profitable for this big sporting world.

Our mission is to “even the playing field” so that “with every payment, sport survives and thrives in every community in the world”.