UK: OLYMPICS: In an Olympian feat, a Chinese man cycles on a rickshaw for two years from China to London to support the 2012 Games

Record ID: 858171

  • Title: UK: OLYMPICS: In an Olympian feat, a Chinese man cycles on a rickshaw for two years from China to London to support the 2012 Games
  • Date: 28th July 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF GIRL POSING WITH CHEN ON HIS RICKSHAW
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Quirky,People,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAC5XGR2TTR7IRWMWYIJS989AT7
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: A Chinese man has travelled from the Far East to Britain to show support for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games - on a rickshaw.
    57-year-old Chen Guangming, from Juangsu province in eastern China, has been a long-time Olympics supporter and started making his journey to London in 2010 with the hope of witnessing the opening ceremony.
    "I've been running this campaign for more than 11 years. It started in 2001, and until 2008 or 2009 it stayed within China. Then after leaving China, from 2010 until now - the London Olympic Games - I've already travelled through 16 countries and more than 40,000 km," Chen told Reuters in London's Chinatown on Saturday (July 28).
    Chen arrived in London on July 9 in a colourful rickshaw covered with photos from his journey with Chinese and British flags proudly displayed on top. He said he was impressed by the beauty and friendliness of the British capital and planned to stay through the Olympics and Paralympic Games.
    "My vehicle is a rickshaw. It's slow in speed but very convenient. I live and eat in this three-wheeled vehicle with two and a half square metre of space. I sleep in this vehicle too and put whatever food or drinks I purchased along the way in there."
    The epic journey had taken Chen through countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia and India. He had also encountered floods in Thailand and snow storm in Turkey.
    His tenacity was rewarded with a ticket to the London Olympic opening ceremony on Friday (July 27), which he said was a "magnificent performance."
    "I had this idea before. I'd always had this dream since childhood but never had the chance to realise it. Using the success of the Beijing Olympics as a platform, I get to showcase and challenge myself, overcome obstacles and test my limits," Chen explained.
    Chen said he financed his journey in three ways: income from taking passengers on his rickshaw, borrowing from his siblings and donations from the public. When the funds ran low he would seek part-time work locally or make money from fixing bicycles.
    Insurance broker John Beeston spotted Chen and his outlandish rickshaw in London's Piccadilly district and was impressed by the cyclist's vision.
    "He hasn't asked people to finance his trip. He hasn't looked for luxury hotels. He's done this all on his own choosing, and when he's short of money he will work, he will clear rubbish, he will do anything to enable him to go onto the next stage of his journey. He simply wants to spread this message of worldwide goodwill too all, capturing the spirit of the Olympics," Beeston said.
    Chen hopes to now garner enough support for his next rickshaw journey to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Olympic restriction: Clip cannot be re-published without additional clearances from the IOC. Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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