We are proud to release our official film : "What does it take to become a champion?"
The film is a hard take on a champion's journey. Thanks to White Ink Film Production and the MAKEACHAMP community which helped make this video

pixel skylines
dirt enthusiast
Cosmic Funnies
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open


titsay
Monterey Bay Aquarium
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Game of Thrones Daily
will byers stan first human second

JBB: An Artblog!
đŞź
d e v o n
RMH

Product Placement
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
TVSTRANGERTHINGS

seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from Mexico
seen from Mexico
seen from Singapore
seen from United States

seen from T1
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Italy

seen from Malaysia

seen from Italy

seen from Hong Kong SAR China

seen from United States

seen from Singapore
@makeachamp-blog
We are proud to release our official film : "What does it take to become a champion?"
The film is a hard take on a champion's journey. Thanks to White Ink Film Production and the MAKEACHAMP community which helped make this video

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
MAKEACHAMP is everywhere, growing fast, and still hiring. Hereâs how we did it
You have probably heard about MAKEACHAMPâs rising growth. And you may have read how the crowdfunding platform - now 2 years old - is already used by more than 10,000 athletes in 20 countries. But have you seen its press coverage?
The quotes above are what journalists are writing about MAKEACHAMP and its athletes in just the past 3 weeks. And yet we have not run any big marketing campaign. We donât have expensive movies or billboard campaigns. We donât actively network in startup events. If thereâs one theme that emerges from CEO David Barkay, itâs that MAKEACHAMP made athletes the epicentre of its efforts.
Read more
Try to keep the MAKEACHAMP New Year Resolution
When athletes tell me their New Year resolutions, I canât help but be skeptical. They tell me, âI vow to run every morningâ or âI vow to not miss a practice.â And I think to myself, by March this person will not be running any longer and theyâll be missing every other practice.
Perhaps I might be pessimistic but what's so different about this year than any other time of year? Improving yourself as an athlete is not something you decide to do because its a new year and youâre buying a new calendars. Setting a big resolution for a New Year can be exciting at first but this dies down very quickly. Thats why only 8% of resolutions are kept.
So whats the MAKEACHAMP New Year Resolution? MAKEACHAMP is challenging you to improve yourself every single day! Every morning and every single day you should ask yourself âhow can I improve myself today?â or âwhat can I do this practice to get me closer to my goalsâ.
Getting better results takes months and years of hard work and dedication. And here is the key to keeping your New Year resolutions - make improving yourself as an athlete a habit!
How to choose a realistic goal?
Here we'll walk you through a procedure you can use to set a realistic goal for your campaign.
Step 1: Calculate your budget
This may require some research on your part, but it is critical for you to be precise with how much money you need. You can do this by listing out all your costs or expenses. Examples can be travel tickets, hotel, meals, taxi/bus, medical bills, training and equipment cost.
              Add cost of fulfilling the rewards
Donât forget to add into your budget how much it costs to create the rewards. For example, if one of your rewards is a handmade bracelet, then calculate the cost of the material to make the bracelet. We suggest to personally give the reward to the supporter as it helps fortify the connection between you and your supporter. However when that is not possible, find out what the package size you need for that reward. Since different package sizes have different costs, youâll be able to add shipping costs to your budget.
                Donât forget about administrative fee!
Although it is free to create a MAKEACHAMP campaign, set your funding goal higher than the amount you need because of payment charges (Paypal takes about 3.5%) and administrative charges (MAKEACHAMP 9%). For example, if you need $1,000, we suggest you to target about $1,140.00
In order to figure out how we got $1,140.00, plug your numbers in there:
(Budget Amount + Costs of Rewards) / 0.875 Â = Funding Goal
Using the equation above, if you were to raise $1000 (this includes all of your expenses and the costs of your rewards). Divide $1000 by 0.875 (a magic number that we have come up with to help you set a funding goal), then your funding goal comes out to be about $1,140.00.
Step 2: Calculate your reach
Perhaps you now have a rough idea of how much funding you need but is it realistic for you to achieve it? A way to measure if a fundraising goal is achievable is to calculate your possible reach. Take into consideration that an average contribution is about 75$ and one in ten people who see your campaign will contribute. This information will help you estimate how many people you will need to reach. You will also be able to judge if it is realistic or not to reach that many people. Take into consideration here your presence on social media and even your personal connections.
Good luck:
MAKEACHAMP is here to cheer you on! We are happy to be at your service and we feel truly honored to have you with us. Asking for the support from your community is an important step that you have taken; your efforts and hard work will pay off!
MAKEACHAMP had a great interview with @juliencousineau. More news coming soon!

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION
A campaign description should be informative and captivating. But most importantly it should describe in a transparent manner what the funds will be used for.
Start with your athletic career
At the beginning of the campaign description, give us some basic details about your life, your sport and career.
Here is an example:
âHey everyone, my name is David.
I am 21 years old and I have been doing judo since the age of 5. I started in Toronto and currently train with the National team in Montreal. I am a 2nd degree black belt with 8 national titles.â
Your dreams and aspirations
Your dreams and aspirations are your large missions that you are trying to achieve. Vividly describe these goals and help the reader feel how badly you want to achieve them. Try to sell them your vision and your dedication to it.
Here is an example:
âIâve been dreaming of going to the Olympics ever since I was a little kid. Iâve watched friends and family members attempt but never achieve this goal. Iâve battled too hard and sacrificed way too much not to achieve my dreamâ
Current status
Tell your readers where you are currently in regards to achieving the major goals you described above.
Here is an example:
âIâve battled injuries but rejuvenated with a new mission to make my international breakthrough. And Iâve made the necessary adjustments to my training and diet. Now I am stronger, and feel better than ever.
Reason you are running a campaign
Here is where you tell your contributors how they can help you achieve your goal. Explain to them how their support can help you go from your current situation to achieving your dreams.
Here is an example:
âThis is where you come in. Making my international breakthrough will not be easy and it is definitely not cheap. I need to travel to Spain to compete at the 2013 World Cup. This trip will cost me 1500$ and currently, I am not able to afford it. With your support I will be able to travel to spain, compete and earn the points I need to make my international breakthroughâ
List out your budget
Present a list of your expenses. Please be as transparent and descriptive as possible.
Here is an example:
The funds will be used for the following:
Transportation
Flights
Taxi
Bus
Accommodation (hotel room for 5 nights)
Entry fee (150$)
Food
Explain how much their support means to you
It is very important to tell your supporters what their support means to you.Â
Here is an example:
âWithout your help I will not be able to afford to compete at this competition. Unable to compete will set me further back from achieving my goal. Supporting me on this campaign will enable me to focus on my training rather than the finances. With your help, I will be able to represent you at the 2013 Spain World Cup, stronger and better than ever.
Tell people about your rewards
Your supporters want to join you on your journey to success. Giving them a gift will help establish that bond between you and your supporters.
Here is an example:
âDonât forget to check out the rewards I am giving. I will gladly bring back a small gift from spain for any contributions larger than 50$. If you contribute more than 100$ I will build you a personalized workout and diet plan. Lastly, with a contribution of 500$ I will come and give a motivational speech at your companyâ
Say thank you and tell them to share your campaign on social media
Make sure that you are concluding in a positive and powerful manner. Donât forget the call to action and a bit of gratitude.
Here is an example:
âThank you for taking the time to visit my campaign.
Any contribution, big or small, is greatly appreciated.
If you canât contribute please share my campaign to you friends and familyâ
Spread the Word Offline
Although online sharing is important, bringing your campaign to a physical level can have a great impact. This does not mean you should have a bake sale or a car wash fundraiser. Here are some things you can do to add a personal level to your campaign:
1. Set up your team
Take couple minutes at practice or while you are traveling and tell your teammates, coaches and everybody else that you plan on running a campaign. Once your campaign is launched, make sure you have 5-10 people that are prepared to share and contribute to it. Remember, you are more likely to succeed when you reach 30% of your funding goal in the first week!
2. Give your reward personally
Instead of paying money to send a reward, try giving the reward personally to the contributor. Doing so will facilitate a bond between you and the supporter. This connection will help you throughout your career. You can also ask yours supporters to distribute your campaign to their friends and family. Be sure to take a picture with your contributor and the reward, and post the picture up on your social media accounts.
3. Posters
Directly on your profile, you can print out posters. The best locations to hang these posters are your gym and training centre. Additionally, you can also approach various local businesses such as restaurants, medical offices and sports equipment stores to hang your posters.
4. Tell your coach/club
Your club and your coach want you to succeed. Although they canât fund you themselves they can definitely help you spread the word. Ask the coach to announce to the club members that you are running a campaign and send out an email to the club members.
5. Tell Your Parents
Your parents can be one of your biggest resources in this campaign. Most parents would love to help you with your campaign, so give them a chance. You can print out the posters and give it to them so they can distribute the posters to their friends and co-workers. Furthermore, you can send them an email, which they can forward to their co-workers. They can also connect you with many more family members. In fact, there is nothing better than having the whole family united over your campaign.
Sharing Your Campaign Online
Congrats, youâve successfully built and launched your campaign. Weâve done our research and collected 10 of the most effective ways to make sure you have a successful campaign. And here they are:
1.    Update your campaign and communicate with your supporters
Directly from your profile you can update your campaign and all other Social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Email. You can update your campaign in the box where you can add some text, pictures and videos. When your campaign is updated, an email will be sent to all your supporters. You can also publish your updates on the selected social media sources.
Update your campaign and social media frequently with various posts. Â An update can be sharing your athletic progress, showing gratitude, or even showing off a result. Regardless of the type of update, youâll tighten the bond between you and supporters. Adding a public element to this by sharing it on social media will make people want to join in and contribute. Make updating your campaign a habit and youâll receive unprecedented results.
Furthermore you should also post this on other platforms that you belong on such as Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+, LinkdIn, which can all be used to increase the ripples of your campaign launch.
2. Email Marketing
We hope youâve started sending out emails when you launched your campaign. The general rule is to try to get in touch with a contributor three times in order to get a contribution. Our system will help you keep track of the emails that you send. Those that did not contribute or did not reply might not have gotten your email. Do not hesitate to reach out to them for a second and a third time. You should give an equal chance to all your supporters to join your story. Also donât forget to add the campaign link to your email signature. We have provided some suggested templates but please donât hesitate to change them. Regardless of the responses you get, please always be polite and respectful with your communication with potential supporters.
3. Thank your contributors immediately on Facebook
When you get a contribution, you will get an email notification with the name of the person that contributed. The first thing you need to do is to connect with them on social media, if you donât know who they are then find them on social media and add them as a friend or follow them. Next, say a public thank you to them by tagging them in your Facebook status.
Doing so will increase awareness about your campaign without looking needy. It will show your campaign as a successful one and lastly, it will give the contributor the public recognition they want. Here is more information regarding this :
http://blog.makeachamp.com/post/62429137624/key-to-success-on-makeachamp
5. Social Media Supporters
Not everyone can support you financially. However, we all have friends that spend a lot of time on social media, who have gathered thousands of followers or friends. Reach out to these friends and ask for them to help you boost your campaign into the âsocialsphereâ. You can also create an online contest to see who shares your picture (with your campaign link) the most - the winner of this contest can even get one of your rewards.
6. Twitter
Twitter is a powerful tool to create an online presence. Your MAKEACHAMP campaign will help you create an online presence but first you must demand it. Make sure that your friends with lots of followers are helping you by sharing your campaign on twitter. If you havenât created your own hashtag when you launched your campaign, this is a good time. A hashtag has to be simple, meaningful and catchy such as #GoForGold or #GoDavidGo. Donât forget to add your campaign link to your profile description. Lastly, thanking your contributors on twitter is also a great way to maintain a buzz around your campaign.
7. Widget
A widget is a small picture of your campaign that can be placed onto another website. You can access a piece of code, which will create this widget from your Campaign Home. If you have a blog or a website you can add this code to it and it will show a widget which people can press on to contribute. Next you can ask teammate, your club or organization to add this widget to their website. If you have any questions or need help with the widget let us know at [email protected]
8. Getting press
Directly from your Campaign Home you can keep track of the press that you are contacting. Research some local news stations, newspapers, magazines and even online magazines and add them to your list. We have added a simple template to the dashboard so you can modify it and send it out. With this email, in comparison to an email to a contributor, make sure to tell them more about you and your story. You can take segments from your description and paste them into this email. Nonetheless remember your writers and publishers want a story.
9. Getting a sponsor
Here is something very unique to MAKEACHAMP. We believe that your campaign can help you get sponsors. In fact, many companies are willing to get their logo on your MAKEACHAMP campaign and benefit from all the exposure they will get. In return, you can ask them to match contributions or even provide a perk. Get in touch with MAKEACHAMP at info@makeachamp and we will help you set it up.
 10. Facebook event
A special trick that MAKEACHAMP have found to be very successful is to create a Facebook event for your campaign. Because not everyone sees your status updates, making a Facebook event allows you to send an invitation to all your Facebook friends. Furthermore, a Facebook event tightens the communication between you and your supporters by notifying all your supporters when you post on this event. You can also update this event page at the same time as you update your campaign. Donât forget to add to this Facebook event page the link of your campaign, the campaign description and the rewards. If you need any help with this we will be more than glad to walk you through it, send us an email at [email protected].
Launch Your campaign successfully
Before you launch
Before your campaign has gone online, you can take some steps to make sure everything goes according to plan.
1.Get feedback on your campaign
Getting feedback on your campaign is essential. Youâve done a great job building your campaign but getting some suggestions and advice from others can only improve your campaign. Take the preview link and send it to few chosen friends and family members. Ask them for their feedback and make sure you take note of it. Once you have their input make sure to act on it. Getting feedback improves your chances for success, because not only is your campaign better but you have people that are ready and prepared to help you spread the campaign once itâs launched.
 2. Get your close friends to join your fundraising efforts
The success of a launch can determine the outcome of your campaign. Therefore prior to launch make sure to have at least 10 of your friends/family members ready to contribute and share your campaign on day one!
 3. Plan out your marketing
Before you launch your campaign make sure that you know what you will be doing when your campaign is on air. Here are some things that you can put into your plan.
facebook, twitter, blogs
local news papers
bulletin boards
sending a private message to your family and friends
school, work, and clubs
emailing all of your contacts
4. Double check for mistakes
Make sure to thoroughly go over your campaign to check for any mistakes. Itâs important to check for mistakes because it shows that your campaign has been thoroughly thought-out and checked. If people see that you donât care enough to proofread your campaign description, then why should they care enough to contribute?
Campaign Launch:
A good campaign launch makes as many ripples as possible in the online social wave pool. Here is how to do it.
1.Start with emails
Sending emails to potential supporters is the fastest and easiest way to reach raise 30% of your campaign in the first week. By logging into your MAKEACHAMP profile and clicking âpromoteâ youâll be able to see your email marketing tools. Weâve added templates to your profile for your convenience but make sure to modify them depending on if you are reaching out to friends, family members, coaches, news outlets, and companies or sponsors.
2. Approach your club
Sometimes the best campaign marketing is personal. Talk to your coach and club organizer to help you with your campaign. Your coach will be able to give an announcement to the entire club and the club organizer will be able to send an email to all the club members with the link to your campaign. Another good idea is to ask your club to put up posters of your campaign up at your training facility.
3. Social Media sharing
           Login to your profile and update your campaign with an announcement of your campaign launch. Our tools will allow you to spread this message to networks such as Facebook/Twitter. Next, make sure that your helpers sharing all your posts. Incentives your helpers with a competition where the person who share its the most will get a reward. All of this is pretty easy to do and keep track of on facebook. Also, make sure you reach out to people who have a lot of followers on twitter. These individuals will be more than glad to help you spread the word about your campaign. You can also get your own hashtag theme going. For example you can tell all your friends on twitter and facebook to add a hashtag such as this #GoDavidGo when they share your campaign link.
 Put a post one social media that builds anticipation to your campaign. Let people know that you are planning on launching a campaign and that you will need their support. The goal is to generate the biggest buzz you can around your campaign. Even before it is on air.
MAKEACHAMP offers 1 on 1 coaching, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact our campaign managers at [email protected]
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, we will be sharing your campaign!
Now you are ready for the big day! You can do this, champ!
Campaign Video
Creating a video is essential to tell your story. Here are couple of aspects of a video that are effective:
Tell your story
The best thing you could do in your video is to tell your story. Try to focus on a couple of things that define you. These are the things that distinguish you from other athletes. People will contribute to be a part of your story.
Your bio
Make sure to add some biographical facts about you and your athletic career. Including these facts in your campaign is quite simple but it is often forgotten. It can make a big difference because you will be getting a lot of views from people that may not necessarily know you. The background information you provide can help you connect with people from your hometown, for example.
Your mission
Your mission is the large goal that you are aiming for in your athletic career. People contribute because they want to be a part of your mission. Express to them how much their support means to this ambitious mission.
Be brief
An effective video is one that gets to the point. You have the description and the CV to tell your supporters more about your career so use the video to tell your supporters briefly why you are running a campaign.
 The video is part of the effort; it is not all of it.
The video will definitely help with your campaign but donât put too much pressure on yourself to create a video that will fundraise for you. Yes, it is great to aim to create a âviralâ video but the chances are too small. Focus on a truthful and powerful video rather than fancy and viral.
How to MAKE a VIDEO?
We know you are busy traveling, training and competing so here is a manual on how to quickly and efficiently put together a video for your campaign.
 Step 1: The Script
Sit in a quiet area and record yourself with a camera, laptop, tablet or even a phone camera. Here is an example of a script you can read out loud while looking into a camera.
âHey, my name is _____, I am a ______ and this is my MAKEACHAMP campaign video.
_______ (your sport) has been part of my life for ________ (years). My dream is to ______ but in order to get there I need your support!
I am running this campaign to help me raise ______ (funding goal) in order to cover ______ (expenses such as training cost, flights, etc.).
Achieving this goal means _____ (describe how much it means to you). I will always be grateful for your help.
Every little bit helps! If you canât contribute, please share my campaign with your friends and family.
Thank you!
*Make sure to edit this and add aspects of your story. Also try practicing couple of times.
Step 2: The media folderÂ
Put together your media folder which includes
The recorded script above
3-5 High quality action pictures!
2-3 Action videos
2 songs or instrumental music
 Step 3: The editing
Ideally, try to find a friend or someone who has experience editing and is willing to help you out. You can put your media folder on a USB and hand it over to your friend to edit. If you cannot find someone, no need to worry, it is not difficult to edit the video yourself. Plus editing videos is always a good skill to have. Here is a brief guide on how to edit your video:
Open up an editing program such as adobe premiere, iMovie, or others
Upload your media folder into the program
Fade in with an action video or picture
Add a text with your name and sport
Interlace the script videos with pictures or action video
Finish with saying âthank youâ
 Step 4: The Upload
Congrats, youâve finished editing your video. Hopefully it is in the 1:30 - 2:00 minute range. Upload the clip to YouTube or Vimeo and make sure to have the link of the campaign on the description of the video. Once you have a link, upload it to your MAKEACHAMP campaign.

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
UPEI Synchro: Go Big or Go Home!
Currently preparing for the nationals, the UPEI Synchronized Swimming team - the UPEI Panthers, are working very hard to put a small Canadian province, PEI, on the map.
Without a doubt, the University of Prince Edward Island is the one of the smallest universities in the Canadian University Synchro League. Yet the UPEI Panthers have achieved astounding results. Last year, they took the league by surprise, having every routine placed in the top 3 at nationals, and winning the trophy for the highest overall points. When they were approached and asked where they are from, they proudly answered, âPEIâ!
Synchronized swimming is a combination of a few gymnastics, dancing and swimming. âIts such a complex sport. You not only need to be good in the water, but you need speed, agility, strength and endurance to keep up with the 4 minute routinesâ Commented Ally Merrill, the Coach. âAnd you need to be flexibleâ.
In addition to practicing more than twelve hours per week, the Panthers are full time students who work part time jobs to pay for tuition, living expenses, and swimming. While practicing, working and studying, these girls are also responsible for all of the expenses incurred by synchronized swimming. Because synchronized swimming at UPEI is a club team, it does not receive funding from the university. The teammates are often left with the responsibilities to cover the expenses necessary to operate their club and to travel to different competitions.
This year, they were confronted with the devastating reality of losing three of their strongest team members. Without these three members, they contemplated on whether they should continue with the season. However, in absence of those three members, the team has forged a stronger bond among the remaining members. Now, as a smaller team, they are working twice as hard. Knowing that the judges will not look at them as equal to the other eight-person teams, they are now more motivated than ever to blow the judges out of the water
The UPEI Pathers are currently running a campaign on Makeachamp (http://makeachamp.com/upeisynchronizedswimming) to help them relieve some of their financial burdens. This will help them to place more focus on practicing and school. They may be small but they are might. And this year, they are going for gold. Be part of their journey and success by contributing!
Kathy Hubble: âSuccess is not by Chance itâs by Choiceâ
After her 24 year retirement, Kathy Hubble has rekindled her passion for Judo. âJudo creates camaraderie, spirit, discipline, and health. For me, I enjoy the camaraderie and the "giving of oneself" spirit that it has the mostâ, Kathy said.
Kathy had a very impressive record during the 1980s. She received gold at a number of Canadian Championships, silver at Pan-Am Championships in Cuba, bronze at Pan-Am Games in Indiana, and received the title, âJudo Canada Athlete of the Yearâ.
Being retired for almost a quarter of a century did not impede on her success. Upon her return to judo, Kathy has already accomplished a number of things. In addition to winning the Canadian Championships, training for Masters Worlds, and working as a Judo Sensei at the Kelowna Judo Club in BC, Kathy finds joy in helping her students grow and getting them graded to third degree black belt.
Similar to every athlete, behind her victorious moments with judo, Kathy had to overcome some challenges. One of the biggest difficulties she had experienced was feeling homesick when she was apart of the the Canadian National Judo team as a teenager. When she was travelling on the road for tournaments and training camps, not only was it strenuous, it was hard not to miss her family - a reason for why she did not expect herself to return to Judo after retiring at the age of 19. Another challenge is weight cutting for competition. Sometimes, in preparation for a competition, she has to cut more than 10 lbs. This implied sitting in a sauna for hours with a garbage bag on -yawza!
Upon rediscovering her passion for Judo, she decided to once again do Judo competitively. Although it was physically challenging for Kathy to return to the world of competitive Judo, she was emotionally prepared to step on the tatamis. Recently, she joined the newly started team, the Judo Canada Masters, with determinations to lead the masters.
âI'm so glad I have come back to the sport of Judo - it has been emotionally rescuing for me to have a real goal to strive for again and I am learning all new aspects of the sport I never knew existed before! I hope I can bring back the Gold from Abu Dhabi!â
Currently running a campaign on MAKEACHAMP.COM (http://makeachamp.com/kathyhubble), she has worked harder than ever and is both physically and emotionally ready to  make her way to bring home the Gold from the Fifth World Judo Masters Championship in Dubai.
Knockâem dead, Kathy!
McGill Synchronized Swimming: Fighting Against Gravity
Similar to gymnastics, many girls who practice synchronized swimming often start at a young age. This means a lot of sacrifices. For many of the McGill synchronized swimmers, they have given up their chance of being on the national team to get a college degree. As full-time students at McGill University, one of the best universities in Canada, the members of the McGill Varsity Synchronized Swimming team have worked very hard to become National Champions 9 years running.
Preparing for the University National Synchronized Swimming Competition has always been difficult, but the McGill Synchronized Swimming team has managed to make everything work. While juggling work and part time jobs, these girls are very dedicated to practicing â on average 17 hours per week! Although they can be overwhelmed by the stress of synchronized swimming, school, and work, their passion for synchro has taught them to prioritize and to be efficient with their time.
Yet the most difficult part about their sport is the lack of respect they receive. People tend to relate synchronized swimming to Austin Powers side diving into a pool with a flower cap while walking along the bottom. Â Synchronized swimming is not as easy as Austin Powers may portray it- just grazing the bottom of the pool is against the rules of the sport. In addition to holding their breath for an extended amount of time, they are constantly fighting against gravity to keep their body above the water. Perhaps itâs because of the lack of respect that, even after winning university nationals nine years in a row, the McGill administration fails to provide the needed funding for this sport.
Last year, when the McGillâs team won first place at the University Nationals, they continued training and went to the Canadian Open. Compared to their competitors, whose main focus is on synchronized swimming, the McGill Synchro team trained persistently while paying expenses out of their own pockets and maintaining the high GPA required by McGill. Although they didnât win first place, they placed fourth against all odds while proving to the rest of Canada the potential that McGill synchronized swimmers had.
 Once again, the team is preparing themselves for the university nationals in January. This time, it's different. They are running a campaign on MAKEACHAMP.com - a fundraising platform for athletes. Theyâve create a page (www.makeachamp.com/mcgillsynchro) that allows them to share their story, their struggles and get the support and recognition they deserve. We wish them a best of luck and hope that theyâll bring pride back to their University and their supporters.
A note to the supporters:
A big thank you to the thousands of supporters that have contributed more than 200,000$ through MAKEACHAMP to help athletes achieve their dreams. This note is for you.
You've given a hand to the athletes that are not making millions of dollars, but are working just as hard as those that do. Donât be humble, you have done a great deed and you deserve the recognition. In all the merits, you've helped make a champ.
Your support is so much more than just financial. Your contribution supports the athlete emotionally and morally more than you could imagine. By contributing to an aspiring athlete, you've essentially told them that you believe in their dream - you've joined their team, their story. Knowing that you will be there cheering them on, they are uplifted with new found motivation. For there is nothing better than knowing there are people who want them to win.
By taking an active role in equipping an athlete with motivation and funding you've stood up for excellence, for dreaming and for achieving goals. You are no longer sitting on the sideline complaining why youâre country is not succeeding in the Olympics The next generations will need these athletes to look up to and without your support, there would have been one less champion to make the world that much better.
Thank you supporters, it was our pleasure connecting you to an athlete. We hope you enjoyed making a champ.
MAKEACHAMP with Montreal Connected
Montreal Connected sits down with the MAKEACHAMP team to see how they are revolutionizing the way athletes are funding their goals and dreams.

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Congrats to David Ancor - co-founder of MAKEACHAMP - for winning the 2013 Omnium du QuĂŠbec/ Quebec open. #PartOfTheStory #PartOfTheGlory
#PartOfTheStory #PartOfTheGlory - BRITTANY PHELAN
Originally from Quebec, Brittany has been apart of the Canadian Alpine Ski team since 2008.
She experienced her first breakthrough on World Cup last year, and cut her world ranking in half in Slalom. Currently ranked 29th in the world in Slalom, sheâs still trying to improve her races. Brittany is also the only person who has done a 360 off a jump in a Slalom city event in Moscow World Cup last season, while racing World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin.
Brittany has had many dreams of competing at races such as the World Cup and the Olympics. In 2008, Brittany accomplished one of her biggest dreams when she became qualified to race at the World Cup in Aspen, USA. Upon attaining her dream of competing at the world cup, she knew she wanted more of her dreams to come true.
Of course, no oneâs ride to success is smooth sailing. At the Whistler Cup in her first year K2, a day before the Slalom race, Brittany broke her thumb. Despite what the doctor had said, Brittany, with determination and eagerness, went up to Slalom the next day to race. While trying to ski the warm-up, Brittany experienced excruciating pain. Though it was hard for her to overcome the idea of the thought that she could have won, she had to abandon the race for the sake of her thumb.
Brittany loves to race and she hopes to represent Canada at the Sochi Winter Olympics this year but to quote ACDC, âitâs a long way to the top if you want to rock and rollâ â financial issues has always been a long term struggle of professional athletes. She wants to ski for Canada until sheâs 34. Her goal might sound ambitious but she said â but I love what I do, and when you love something this much, anything is possibleâ. Â Check out her MAKEACHAMP campaign to find out how you can be apart of her story. Contribute to increase her chance for success and take part in her journey to the 2014 Sochi Olympics.