'King of Ballarat' no longer needs to live on noodles chasing Olympic dream

The 24-year-old quipped this means "no more noodles" and instead "it's just gonna be fancy food" as he and coach Paul Cleary work their way to Paris.

Ballarat businesses, led by snack manufacturer Ferndale Foods and the Sporting Globe, have jumped on board with added financial backing for the Olympic prospect. Family and friends have raised almost $14,000 by the morning of July 5.

Reath is also set to become the face of Ferndale products, potentially their popular Jila Mints and a new sports and nutrition range, which the company will launch in major grocery chains later this year.

A landscaper by trade, Reath said he was now the self-proclaimed King of Ballarat, a city that had offered him and his family great opportunities and support as Sudanese refugees.

"It means a lot. And like, as I always say, it's the support that always keeps me going and want wanting me to do even better every time I'm out there jumping," Reath said.

"...It's just mind blowing and like, it would also add to my reputation as the self-proclaimed King of Ballarat."

Reath is the reigning Australian and Oceania high jump champion. He has twice cleared a personal best jump of 2.30 metres since April and is ranked 12^th in the world.

Athletics Australia is yet to confirm its full Olympic selections - this is expected early next week - but last Sunday, Reath was invited to competed in an IAAF Diamond League event in Monaco. He will fly out on July 5.

Reath said funds had been getting "a bit short" but family had left open a crowd funding page, which had been building in momentum.

Ferndale and the Sporting Globe could hardly help but offer "big money" after hearing Reath speak at a Commerce Ballarat BizNet breakfast function earlier this week.

Hip Pocket Workwear is also planning to continue their support. Business owners John and Sylvia Gleeson had had Reath work as a landscaper on their property and have been closely following his athletic rise.

"It gives me more freedom now to actually not worry about like what's going on with money and have like a really tight budget on like, what not to do and the dos," Reath said.

"It just gives me that freedom in case something ends up popping up out of nowhere and we're just like, 'oh, we might as well just go there and just compete for fun' just leading up into [the Olympics]."

WATCH BELOW: Yual Reath and coach Paul Cleary thank people for support (video: Nyanhial Nyuon, YouTube).

Reath also planned to stay in Europe after the Olympics to keep plying his trade on the elite athletics circuit.

His aim remains to bring home "a big fat paycheck" for his mum.

"She's just done so much for me and she's just sacrificed so much," Reath said. "She always says us kids, we're her future. So yeah, so I just want to spoil her rotten."

Ferndale Foods chief executive officer Leigh Edward said Reath's family values and incredible story of working hard to chase his dream fit well with Ferndale as a family-owned business.

No matter what happened in Europe - including Olympic selection - Edward and his team wanted to play whatever role they could in support.

"I's an opportunity that landed on our desk and it's something that how lucky are we as a business to be able to have the opportunity to support Yual," Edward said.

"As a Ballarat family owned business, you know, Yual's values, family and tenacity, and all of those things really align with us as a business and the opportunity just to be a very, very small part of his story is an absolutely exciting opportunity."

The sentiment was similar for the Sporting Globe Ballarat franchisee Anne Alexander.

The hotel has been planning Olympic activations. Ms Alexander said they had been applying for a permit to have a watch party should Reath reach the Olympic high jump final in the middle of the night - even if people were out in their Oodies and Uggs to watch him take on the world.

Ms Alexander said after hearing Reath's story, and his responsibilities to family and the community, the chance for the Sporting Globe to sponsor him felt like "a match made in heaven".

"We didn't want him to eat noodles while he was overseas," Ms Alexander said.

"Sponsoring him and him being able to put all the efforts that he can into achieving his dream was important to us."

The community can continue to help sponsor Reath's Olympic dream via crowdfunding online here.