The football player for adolescents Ruby Miller collects funds for the beginnings on the deaf -xpiques

Ruby Miller’s dream to represent Australia on the international scene is about to come true.

But the honor of bringing green and gold to the next deaf the wicks will be at a price.

The 17 -year -old woman has serious fundraising to do before she took the ground as part of the national football team for the deaf.

“Unfortunately, we have to pay our own path to go to Japan,” said Ruby.

The total amount required to finance the trip is $ 10,000.

“I always wanted to represent Australia at the Olympic Games,” she said.

“I work 10 times harder than everyone (in the” hearing world “) simply because I have to use my peripheral vision.

“You don’t hear anyone from you. It is as if you were to be aware of your environment.

“Sometimes you want them to be able to put Blu Tack in their ears and understand what it is not to be able to hear.”

His mother Ondria Miller could not be more proud, but said that the opportunity was balanced against the financial reality of having to cover the training and travel costs.

The single mother said that local fundraising, subsidies and donations had played a key role in supporting the aspirations of her daughter.

“We sell joyful soles, which are socks. Ruby’s brother has collected wood with a family friend, and we sold some heaps of wood,” she said.

“We have had gifts and subsidies, and people just helped everywhere, and currently on the Ruby uniform in Japan, she has space on each of her sleeves so that someone sponsors her so that they can have their logo on her sleeve.”

Lack of funding

Deaf Football Australia secretary Brian Seymour, who is part of the Ruby management team, said his financial fate was common among deaf athletes.

“A large part of the deaf community, with regard to sport and funding, they have the impression that they have not been treated fairly,” he said.

Seymour said that “it would probably cost a million dollars” to send the 100 people to the deaf this year.

He said that most of this money should come from charity and fundraising organizations.

“This filter money … to help pay the players, training costs and perhaps clothes and what is necessary,” said Seymour.

“I just find it appalling when they can’t even somehow somehow and say, here are $ 2 million for you over four years or $ 5 million over four years.

“All the money is just going to your valid person, your person hearing and your guys para (lympic).”

Different objectives

Australian Olympians and Paralympian receive funding from Australian Sports Commission (ASC), as part of what is known as Win Well Program.

“There is no categorization for auditory disabilities at the Paralympic Games, which is a decision taken by the International Paralympic Committee,” ASC said in a statement.

A main performance and talent advisor to Australia Paralympics, Tim Matthews, said that for these athletes, money was generally not a problem.

“For a majority of athletes, I would say that for those who make a world championship team, it is unlikely that they should finance their participation during this event if it is a sport funded at a high performance level,” he said.

But Deaf Sports Australia (DSA) is funded in a different scheme, called Play Well, which is designed to encourage participation rather than high performance.

The DSA received $ 168,500 from the ASC during the year 2024-25.

Ruby said the challenges would only strengthen her determination.

“I really have to be independent and determined,” she said.

“Whatever the nights when I don’t have football training locally, I’m going to go to the gymnasium, I run almost every day.

“You really learn to be independent.”