They're bringing their biggest fan

Kym Rohn-Taylor never knew if she would have the chance to board an airplane. The Franklin Field security guard has an aversion to flying, and last year she underwent breast-cancer surgery.

But now she's back at work, and later this week she'll be up in the sky, off to California.

Last December, the women's lacrosse team came up to Rohn-Taylor - or Mrs. Kym, as everyone calls her - with what appeared to be a standard Christmas card. But inside was the promise of a ticket to accompany the team on its spring break road trip to the Golden State.

"The card said, 'we're taking our biggest fan,'" Rohn-Taylor said. "Who does that? I'm just happy that they thought of me enough to do that. It shows that I'm doing a good job here."

Senior captain Sarah Waxman couldn't remember whether the coaches or players came up with the idea, but she said the decision to invite Rohn-Taylor was unanimous.

"From the first day, Mrs. Kym was a part of our family," Waxman, the starting goalkeeper, said. "It seemed like a great idea since she's our number-one cheerleader."

Rohn-Taylor, who insists on learning the names of all of the athletes who enter "Kym's Condo" (Franklin Field), has never missed a Penn women's lacrosse game in Philadelphia since she came to Penn in fall 2006.

"I have a real special relationship with the girls' lacrosse team," she said. "I love them and they love me."

Part of this special relationship is leading the parents in cheers during the games. Her presence in California will give the Quakers an emotional boost.

"Our theme this year is 'bring it home,' so if we can bring pieces of home with us when we travel, that's really important," Waxman said.

"I can't even imagine what it's going to be like with her there. Her energy will definitely be noticed. She'll get me up for the games."

The Quakers will be facing Stanford on Sunday and California-Berkeley next Tuesday.

The Quakers are "going to kick some butt - some Berkeley and Stanford butt," Rohn-Taylor said of the itinerary.

The team- - and its favorite security guard- - will also travel to Alcatraz penitentiary and other sites around San Francisco.

Rohn-Taylor is excited that she'll get to visit the West Coast for the first time ever.

"I've never been on an airplane before, so it's a new experience for me," Rohn-Taylor said. "But the fact that I'm going to get to share that experience with them, just shows how wonderful they are."

Waxman also believes this experience will be a good one.

"Playing sports is about broadening your horizons," Waxman said.

"So to be able to broaden someone's horizon who isn't even on the field is tremendous."

Rohn-Taylor was so surprised when she found out about the gift, she was at a lost for words.

"At first I asked them where the cameras were," she said. "Then I was really weepy. I cried, I jumped around - we all did. You would have thought they'd won the championship."

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