June 20, 2023

Epic journey to raise $500,000 for women’s sport during FIFA Women’s World Cup

Former Arsenal Academy player, Fran Hurndall, is preparing for an epic 1000km journey, running from the Gold Coast to Sydney while dribbling a soccer ball.

Fran’s run kicks off on July 20, to coincide with the opening day of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Sydney.

Fran Hurndall in front of her Skyline Campers vehicle which she will be living out of while completing the run.

“I plan to average 32km’s per day for 32 days, arriving in Sydney in time for the World Cup Final,” Fran said.

“And to make things interesting, I will dribble a soccer ball all the way down the coast. I’m pretty sure that has never been done before.”

As epic, or crazy, as this may sound, getting her name in the record books is not Fran’s main aim.

“I am aiming to raise $500,000 for Women Sport Australia, to be used to help the next generation of girls achieve their sporting goals,” Fran said.

“It’s an ambitious goal but I want to show everyone what is possible when you set your mind to it.

“To be honest I don’t even really like running. Before I started my training in April this year, I couldn’t run more than 10km.”

Fran, originally from Manchester in the UK, began playing football at the age of seven. She went on to have a successful career representing England at youth level, as well as playing in the Arsenal Youth Academy.

“While football, or soccer, has been my chosen sport and has given me massive opportunities, this run is about more than that,” Fran said.

“I really hope that, by teaming up with Women Sport Australia, I can go some way to inspiring others to step out of their comfort zone and reach for the stars.”

“That doesn’t mean they have to aspire to represent their country, state or even club. I hope it inspires more people to just get up and have a go.”

Key facts of the challenge:

• Fran is travelling 1000km from the Gold Coast to Sydney, travelling through cites/towns such as Kingscliff, Byron Bay, Port Macquarie, Taree, Gosford, Turramurra and Sydney.

• She will be the first woman to ever dribble a soccer ball down the coast.

• She started training on the April 14, prior to that, she couldn’t run more than 10km.

• She is aiming to raise $500,000 for Women Sport Australia.

• Donation link: https://asf.org.au/projects/women-sport-australia

• She will be dribbling a soccer ball the entire way.