Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Gymnasts’ bid to buy new car for ‘amazing’ coach
Trainer’s vehicle written off in hit-and-run
‘He’s very caring, very understanding, and helps all the children and adults with all their different needs’
Gymnasts are raising money to buy an “amazing” coach a new car after his was written off in a hit-and-run.
Marius Retea, a much-loved coach at Canterbury Gymnastics Club in Wincheap Industrial Estate, had been at a colleague’s home over the Christmas period when a van driver smashed into his car before fleeing the scene. The front end of his car was totally destroyed, but the dad only received a £150 insurance pay-out.
Mr Retea has since been getting the bus to and from work, often not getting back to his house in Folkestone until late at night.
But concerned for his safety and keen to make his life easier, gymnasts at his club are now raising money so he can buy a new car.
Emma Vaughan, an adult gymnast at the club who decided to launch the fundraiser, said: “He now has to take a long bus ride to the gym every day, which he has said he doesn’t mind. “But it takes over an hour on
the bus to get here and the adult gymnastics doesn’t finish until 10pm, sometimes later.
“So he doesn’t get home until 11.30pm, 12pm as it’s about a 20-minute walk back home, once he gets back to Folkestone. “Then he’s back in at the gym at 9am the next day.” Ms Vaughan describes Mr Retea - who has worked at Canterbury Gymnastics Club for about five years - as “the best coach ever”, who helps his pupils “in being better people and gymnasts”.
“[I] would love to give back to our coach who would do anything for us,” she said. “He’s very caring, very understanding, and helps all the children and adults with all their different needs.
“He means a lot to the club and to the people that come here. “He’s just a really nice person and we want him to be safe. I know he’s a man but there’s a lot of horrible, funny people around.
“We just want to find him a decent car to get him back and forth to work.”
The fundraiser has so far garnered about £375 in donations. To donate, visit uk.gofundme. com/f/marius-the-best-coachever.