Economy be damned. The Oakville Fury will let nothing keep them from their date with destiny.
The soccer team's plans were hatched back when crunches had nothing to do with credit, and this team of fortysomethings is determined to play at the World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia, in October.
Just don't look at their credit-card bills afterward.
"We've played together for a while, and it's been our target for a year and a half. I don't think anything's going to stop us," said team member Kathy Dryburgh. "We're all wanting to go, no matter how we have to get there."
Amateur sports players, runners, swimmers and cyclists are now having to decide whether to save their pennies or go for gold.
Some costs can be easily contained - that bicycle might just hold out one more season - but when it comes to major events, passion can rub uncomfortably against reality.
That's become clear to teams such as the Fury and the Burlington Twist, another Toronto-area soccer team planning to travel halfway around the world in a bid to win gold for Canada.
The 30- to 39-year-old Twist players want to qualify for the elite competition, but they'll each have to bear more of the cost than anticipated, said team representative Danielle Alderman.
"Between the players repeatedly hitting up family and friends and the economy, individual [fundraising] events haven't been as successful, and sponsors haven't been quite as generous as they were in the past," she said.
Yet no one has dropped out, and team members insist "people are going to make it work, despite any financial hardship it may cause."
Canada currently has the biggest international team for this year's World Masters Games, but for other sports enthusiasts the expense of travelling to competitions could keep them close to home.
This year's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has 60 per cent more entrants than at this time in previous years, and expects to set a new participation record.
"I think there's lots to suggest that people do more [sport] in these terribly difficult and challenging times, where the sky seems to be falling all around," said race director Alan Brookes.
"This is something you control. You can control what you stuff in your mouth, how much exercise you get out for. You can't control what's happening to your life savings."
The event is promoting itself heavily within the region, as economic pressure might steer competitors to Toronto instead of higher-priced races in cities such as Chicago and New York.
Charities relying on major sporting events for fundraising, however, are being doubly hit: Not only are competitors rethinking whether they can afford to take part, but donations are likely to be down.
The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation's Ride to Conquer Cancer filled up in January, with even more out-of-town participants than last year, but foundation CEO Paul Alofs expects that event to be the exception.
"The economy, without question, is having an impact," he said. "We're thrilled and blown away that [the ride] filled up so quickly, but it's a big, bold and new event, so we're fortunate.
"It's going to be challenging for us and for others to have other activities and events achieve that same level of success."
The personal economy is a series that looks at people in the Toronto region coping with the economic downturn. To share your story, write Tenille Bonoguore at
