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Hello and welcome to The Odd Couple website. We're delighted you took the time to look in on us, and we hope you will come along with us on the journey to Mongolia.....But don't worry. You don't have to go anywhere. We're the ones crazy enough to embark on the 10,000 mile epic trip across Europe for the Mongol Rally 2008 in a car no bigger than 1000cc. As you'll see from our pictures, we failed the medical to get on an 18-30s holiday to Ibiza, but what the heck, this should be much more fun!
All we ask from you is that you give a little to help some of the most disadvantaged children in the world, and if you wish, help The Odd Couple on their adventure. Find out more about sponsorship and donations our charities page. You can follow our fund-raising progress and chart our journey.
And you can read all about the pitfalls and the punch-ups from our en route blog as Franco Rey and Anna Smith make their way across the globe.
TEAM: the Odd couple
It all began in a tapas bar on the Costa del Sol after a few glasses of Rioja too far. So here we are, so far from our comfort zone, we’ll never find our way back.
A potent mix of Latin fire and Scottish flame-haired short temper brings Spaniard Franco Rey and Anna Smith together for the ultimate road trip – an epic 10,000 mile trek from London across the globe to Mongolia.
We might look as though we could qualify for a SAGA holiday, but the Mongol Rally expedition is no bus run for this intrepid duo. If we can manage past Paris without a major punch-up, the Gobi desert will be a breeze in our 1000cc car.
It should be the adventure of a lifetime, and we are seriously up for this challenge and determined to make it all the way to Ulaanbaatar. But the Mongol Rally is not just about adventure. It’s about raising money for charity and doing something that just might have an impact on the lives of other people.
Our principal charity is Mercy Corps Mongolia and in the UK, we have chosen Cancer Research. So we’re up and running, chasing sponsors, fundraising and planning our trip as far as we can.
ROUTE
United Kingdom > France > Belgium > Germany > Czech Republic > Slovakia > Romania > Ukraine > Russia >Kazakhstan > Uzbekistan > Kyrgyzstan > Russia > Mongolia
ANNA
After a lifetime of wading through the crap at the frontline in every major news story across the world, former daily tabloid journalist Anna chucked the day job to write novels. Two are out there so far. She pulls no punches in her column in the Sunday Mirror – you can catch it on the Sunday Mirror website – so she’s been scored off more Christmas lists than she’s had hot dinners.
She and Franco met when they worked together in Seville when Anna was covering Celtic in the UEFA Cup Final. She claims, he’s been bossing her around ever since! She’s not known for her patience, and neither is Franco. So as they face the gruelling trip, joined at the hip for a month in a small car, she’s learning the Spanish for ‘Stop it. You’re strangling me.’
Anna says Franco’s worst trait is constantly interrupting her, and never letting her get her own way.
FRANCO
A true son of Valencia, and a legend with a chequered life story you just wouldn’t believe. Franco lived in London for 26 years where he did everything from medieval jousting to selling insurance and being an optician, before he morphed into a TV actor. He’s probably best known for his role as Dr Fernandez in the BBC 90s soap Eldorado.
Now living in the Costa del Sol, dad-of-four Franco, who has a grandson, works as a freelance journalist and fixer for television companies making documentaries and investigations. His ability to dig people out of the crap is legendary, and his talents will be required on this trip. His last acting role was as a pimp in Eastenders. You never know when it could come in handy.
Franco says Anna’s worst trait is she talks too much, doesn’t listen, but questions everything.
CAR
The car that will take us there will be up soon. It’s being generously supplied by Shields Auto, Glasgow. Big thanks to Joe O’Donnell.
SPONORS AND DONATIONS
We want this to be a team effort. The Odd couple may be the ones driving to Mongolia, but we can only get there with the help of sponsors, family and friends who support us and be part of that broader team. At the end of the day, we’ll all have done something to help change lives of children in the developing world, as well as assist Cancer Research.
What will your sponsorship go towards?
So we are clear about where the cash is going, here’s what we’ve done.
For firms, organisations or individuals wanting to help towards our trip, we’re glad to have their donations at the above link set up. Or contact smithdingle@gmail.com for ways to donate via cheques.
All this cash will go towards our overheads and our costs en route will be kept at a minimum, and once we have reached the target we need to cover our expenses, the remainder will be donated to the charity. Be assured the charity is the priority, but its a costly trip, and we hope you understand that we can’t afford to do it on our own.
To donate to the charity only, you just click on the appropriate button and your money goes directly towards the charity.
Whether an organisation sponsors us or donates to the charity, they will appear on our website with their company logo, and, space permitting appear on the car.
Also, if there is any company out there who wants us to advertise their product in some far flung place, then we’d be happy to do it, for a small fee.
In addition to this, we will mention as many sponsors as possible in newspaper & media publicity in the run-up to the rally.
Somebody very wise once siad, ‘You have not begun to live until you have done something good that impacts on the lives of other people.’ So this is a chance. Remember, no donation is too small – or too large for us to handle.
If you do not want to donate to the Odd couple rally team but still want to make a welcome donation to the charities involved please click on the link below, remember all donations agreat or small are more than welcome.
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CONTACT
We’re happy to hear from you.
Anna:
Tel: 07836-597056
Email: www.smithdingle@gmail.com
Franco:
Email: www.franco@gmail.com
Also check out Anna’s website www.annasmithscotland.com
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