An 18-year-old baseball player from Northwold has been given the chance of a lifetime, but she needs help to make it happen.

Zoe Pestana has been playing baseball since she was six years old, at a time when the sport was still seen as one for boys. She fell in love with the game anyway, and refused to let that stop her. Now, after almost twelve years of hard work, Pestana has been invited to represent South Africa as part of the U18 South African women’s baseball team. The team will compete at the Baseball For All International Tournament in Rockford, Chicago, from July 17 to 27.

Read more: Baseball for all ages

The Baseball For All Nationals is one of the biggest events in the world dedicated to growing girls’ and women’s baseball. Talented players from across the United States and abroad take part, giving female athletes a stage to compete, show their skills, and inspire the next generation of girls to take up the sport.

Pestana’s journey to this point has been filled with milestones. She became one of the first female players picked for a South African boys’ baseball elite training squad, and has gone on to play in boys’ provincial teams throughout her career. She has also represented Gauteng in baseball and has been part of South Africa’s U18 women’s baseball programme, taking part in international series and development initiatives aimed at growing the women’s game in the country.

She says baseball has taught her discipline and resilience, along with the belief that hard work can break down barriers, even when the odds seem stacked against her. Being invited to the tournament in America means more to Pestana than just another competition. It gives her the chance to represent South Africa on the international stage, test herself against some of the best young female players in the world, and show how far women’s baseball has come in South Africa. It is also a chance to inspire young girls back home to believe they belong in the sport.

The trouble is the cost. As with most international tours, players must cover many expenses themselves, including flights, accommodation, tournament fees, transport within the United States, meals, and other costs along the way. Although her family and friends have supported her baseball journey every step of the way, the full cost of the trip is simply beyond what they can afford.

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Pestana says the opportunity fills her with pride, but also a sense of sadness, knowing it could slip away simply because of money. She has decided to ask the public for help, hoping that donations, no matter the size, will bring her closer to a dream she has chased for more than a decade. Beyond the tournament itself, she hopes that competing in front of coaches, scouts, and organisations involved in growing women’s baseball could open doors to further opportunities in the sport.

Anyone wishing to support Pestana’s journey to Chicago can do so through her campaign, or by helping share her story further.

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