SOCCER star Casey Goliath, 12 from Maitland, has returned from her much anticipated Swedish trip on Thursday.
Goliath was selected to join LifeZone Sport International U14 girls soccer team on their tour from 20 June to 7 July. However, she needed to raise R28 000 excluding travel insurance, Visa costs and transport fees.
A shortfall remained when efforts by the family to raise funds saw them fall victim to a “scam”. In the background, Independent Media Editor-in-Chief Adri Senekal de Wet read the article and was so touched by Goliath’s story that she decided to reach out to businessman Zunaid Moti, who sponsored R40 000 for the trip.
Fresh off the plane, Casey said that it was one of the best experiences of her life - although she was home sick.
Casey says of the trip: “Playing soccer in Sweden, especially against international teams, pushed me to grow so much as a player. The competition was tough, but it was exciting to see different playing styles and test myself in a totally new environment.
"Off the field I loved exploring Sweden, everything from the beautiful cities to the culture and even trying Swedish candy and food. It was a mixture of hard work, fun and adventure. I will never forget it
"A special thanks to Zunaid for being my sponsor and believing in me and making theie incredible trip to Sweden possible. And to Aunty Adri [Senekal de Wet] your kindness and encouragement mean the world to me. God bless you all for standing by me and helping me chase my dreams. I’m so grateful to have such amazing people in my life.”