Lilly Pollard recovery assistance

Hey guys!

My name is Lilly Pollard, and I'm a 33 year-old female bodyboarder from Werri Beach on the South Coast NSW. I'm five times Australian Champion, and regular competitor on the Bodyboarding World Tour. 

I do pretty well on the World Tour, consistently a semi-finalist and I also have won a few big events on tour over the years.  Most recently, I won the first event on the 2014 world tour, the Pipeline Challenge in Hawaii, it was a dream come true! The win put me in first place on the World Tour rankings and renewed my drive to go for a world title this year.

Bodyboarding is my life and my passion, but the reality is I don’t make any money from sponsorship, I self-fund my trips to compete and I also work a regular job in a supermarket while at home.  I don’t mind that I have spent all money chasing my dreams, but it does mean that I do tend to live week-to-week financially.

WHAT HAPPENED

Recently, on Tuesday, 25th March 2014, I went for a surf at one of my favourite waves, Mystics Beach at Minnamurra NSW. The conditions were not so big but it was a bit rough and very low-tide. In a freakishly unlucky situation, one wave flipped me inside the barrel and threw me head first into the sandbar. I sustained a series of fractures all down my neck and back, most significantly in my C5, and T1 to T6. I feel so incredibly lucky that I wasn’t knocked out when it happened and also had a couple of friends available who safely helped me to shore. The rescue helicopter crew were also great. I couldn’t be more thankful, especially considering that my spinal cord has not been damaged in the accident.

WHAT I NEED

I've been informed by doctors that I need to completely rest for the next two to three months. I'm happy to comply but very nervous as I don’t know how I am going to afford my living and rehabilitation expenses. 

I need to pay for rent, credit card bills, food, electricity, painkillers, rehabilitation and whatever other bills I'm going to receive. I’m not sure when I will be able to return to work, so the reality is, I’m in some trouble. I'm reaching out for some help, as I would love to be able to focus on my rehabilitation and have less worries about how I’m going to afford to live. 

AND I WILL DONATE TO BREAST CANCER RESEARCH

I am also promising 10% of my fundraising money to go to The National Breast Cancer Foundation, it’s a cause I really believe in and I think with our help we can help to eventually stop people dying from this disease. 

I would like to say a huge thankyou in advance for your support!

Also, my friends are currently planning a fundraiser in the Gerringong area in the coming weeks, with some epic bands lined up and great prizes too! I will keep you informed as everything comes together.