17 Jul 2023
Former Arsenal Academy player, Fran Hurndall, is preparing for an epic 1,000km journey, running from the Gold Coast to Sydney while dribbling a FIFA approved Meriton Suites soccer ball.
Fran's run kicks off from Meriton Suites Broadbeach on July 20, to coincide with the opening day of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney.
“Meriton Suites is proud to support Fran in her incredible endeavour to raise $500,000 for Women's Sports Australia,” says Matthew Thomas, Group General Manager Meriton Suites.
“We're thrilled to be part of this unprecedented journey and in awe of Fran's determination and commitment. Our teams at Meriton Suites Broadbeach and Sussex Street Sydney look forward to welcoming Fran and supporting her as she breaks records and helps to empower female athletes.”
Fran plans to average 32 kilometres per day for 32 days, arriving in Sydney in time for the World Cup Final.
“To make things interesting, I will dribble a soccer ball all the way down the coast. I'm pretty sure that has never been done before,” says Fran.
As epic, or crazy, as this may sound, getting her name in the record books is not Fran's main aim.
“I am aiming to raise $500,000 for Women Sport Australia, to be used to help the next generation of girls achieve their sporting goals,” Fran said.
“It's an ambitious goal but I want to show everyone what is possible when you set your mind to it. To be honest I don't even really like running. Before I started my training in April this year, I couldn't run more than 10km.”
Fran, originally from Manchester in the UK, began playing football at the age of seven. She went on to have a successful career representing England at youth level, as well as playing in the Arsenal Youth Academy.
“While football, or soccer, has been my chosen sport and has given me massive opportunities, this run is about more than that,” Fran said.
“I really hope that, by teaming up with Women Sport Australia, I can go some way to inspiring others to step out of their comfort zone and reach for the stars. That doesn't mean they have to aspire to represent their country, state or even club. I hope it inspires more people to just get up and have a go.”
Key facts of the challenge:
- Fran is travelling 1,000km from the Gold Coast to Sydney, travelling through cites/towns such as Kingscliff, Byron Bay, Port Macquarie, Taree, Gosford, Turramurra and Sydney.
- She will be the first woman to ever dribble a soccer ball down the coast.
- She started training on April 14, prior to that, she couldn't run more than 10km.
- She will be dribbling a soccer ball the entire way
For media enquiries & famil requests contact | Alexandra Cuthbert | The Hotel PR
Meriton Suites is not an official partner / sponsor or in other ways officially connected to FIFA and/or the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™
About Meriton Suites:
Founded by Meriton Group owner Harry Triguboff in 2003, Meriton Suites is Australia's largest owner-operator of apartment-style hotel suites, with 20 incredible locations and 5,339 suites, giving every guest a guarantee that they are staying in the best accommodation in Australia. The group's award-winning hotels have continually been ranked the best in each location on many traveller review websites. For almost 20 years, Meriton Suites has been the market leader in apartment-style hotel accommodation, conveniently located across Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
