There’s nothing Nicole Christodoulou loves more than pulling on her green and gold ParaMatildas jersey to represent her country.
Playing football at an elite level is a dream Nicole thought may never happen after she suffered two strokes while she was sleeping at just 21 years old. Her entire left side was paralysed, and she was forced to re-learn how to walk, talk, read and write.
“It was my dream as a child to play professionally. I lived and breathed football, so I worked really hard to come back and become as strong as I possibly could to play again,” Nicole said.
“It was a long and hard road to recovery full of tears, determination and passion to get to where I am today.”
Nicole’s persistence was rewarded when she was selected for the Australian ParaMatildas team last year. They are Australia’s first national team for women with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and stroke.
“As the striker, I have made it to the top, as far as I can go. It’s such an amazing opportunity and a real honour. Playing for my country and wearing the green and gold with my heart beating underneath the Australian Coat of Arms” she said.
“With this incredible opportunity comes a very expensive cost. There is no funding to support our training, gym memberships and football boots and we have to take unpaid leave from work.”
Nicole said her current expenses equate to around $18,500. To help cover some of these costs, she will be participating in a charity football match in Melbourne next month which will see teams participate in a round-robin style friendly football tournament.
Organisers are hoping to raise $10,000 to help Nicole on her journey, starting with the upcoming Para Asian Cup in Melbourne in October.
Stroke Foundation Chief Executive Officer Dr Lisa Murphy said she will be attending the event.
“This is a great opportunity to support an incredible Australian who has worked so hard to get where she is today,” Dr Murphy said.
“Nicole is one of the 142,000 working aged stroke survivors living in Australia. Around 20 strokes a day impact Australians under the age of 65.
“Stroke Foundation’s aim is for someone in every workplace and household to know the F.A.S.T. acronym. I’d encourage everyone to learn these signs and tell their friends and family because we know being informed truly saves lives and leads to faster treatment.”
If you suspect someone is having a stroke, think F.A.S.T. and ask these questions:
Face: Check their face. Has their mouth drooped? Arms: Can they lift both arms? Speech: Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you? Time is critical. If you see any of these signs call triple zero (000) straight away.
More than 80 per cent of strokes display at least one of the F.A.S.T. signs. Other signs are here.
