Club 25/09/2013
Fan goes the extra mile for Rovers
NEWS FROM THE RAITH SUPPORTERS’ TRUST
For most fans, supporting Raith Rovers means heading along to Stark’s Park on a Saturday to cheer on the team but for Carol Smith, it involves running a 5k race, swimming in open water and cycling for over 12 miles. That’s because Raith Supporters’ Trust member, Carol, is competing in her second Barcelona triathlon to raise funds for the Kirkcaldy club. Carol, originally from Burntisland, has been living in Spain for the last seven years after falling in love with the Catalan capital whilst on holiday. When looking for a way to get fit, a friend joked that she should attempt the triathalon. Always up for a challenge, she looked into it and decided to give it a go and also use the opportunity to help out her beloved Rovers.
“I knew I would need a bit of extra motivation to keep me going so I decided to look for sponsorship. I have been a Rovers fans since the age of ten when my mum first took me along to Stark’s Park and, as Raith Rovers are essential to the community I grew up in, I wanted to do my bit to help. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could get off the sofa and be able to swim, cycle and run across the finishing line but the support of a few football fans behind me has really helped.”
Carol is currently training hard and looking forward to completing her second triathlon on Sunday October 6th. Things are going well and the only difficulty, so far, has been the swarm of jellyfish she encountered on one of her open water training sessions, although she admits this probably made her swim a bit faster that day. Despite living over a thousand miles away from the team she supports, she manages to keep up with what is happening at Stark’s Park.
“I’m a newspaper addict and a regular visitor to the Fife Today web page. I probably get a little too excited when my mum sends me a copy of the Fife Free Press. When I first moved to Barcelona, I spent my time standing in a phone box calling home for the scores but now, thanks to Rovers Abroad, I can watch the games on my computer. I’ve even watched a game from my sun bed on the beach in Barcelona!”
Carol is still looking for sponsorship before her big day. You can either sponsor her on her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TRIing4theRovers or by making payment to the Raith Supporters’ Trust donations account at Account Number: 06009989, Sort Code: 80-16-84 .
Alan Russell, Chairman of the Raith Supporters’ Trust said, “Everyone at the Raith Supporters’ Trust wishes Carol well in her triathlon. It is great that Carol continues to support the Raith Supporters’ Trust and Raith Rovers, despite living so far away from Kirkcaldy. We would encourage all Rovers fans, far and wide, to join the Supporters’ Trust to have their say in the running of their football club.”