Two years to cycle to the Olympic Games

Take a deep breath, can you smell it? … No? … one more time…Take a deep breath, close your eyes… hear the crowd roaring.

Yes its the Olympic Spirit that is in the air, I feel a sense of competition amongst athletes when you watch the games, their eyes glare with energy and their mind set on one thing and only one thing, that is to win. This is the spirits of the athletes that has gathered in London to compete, and compete they SHALL !!

The athletes that has been training everyday for this day to come, to win a medal is such an honor to them but those who did not shall not despair, as they themselves have earned the title OLYMPIAN, not many can call themselves an Olympian representing their country in the highest competing games.  I never dreamed of representing my country, but I bet it would be nice., the furthest I dipped my toes into is by representing my state as a cyclist and managed to compete in the 1995 games.

Not only is the Olympic games set for the athletes, it is for everyone,  This man Chen Guanming cycled all the way from China to London and it took him 2 years to get to the games. It was his childhood dream and he have achieved it, not many people can tell you that they have a dream and they embark on it.. those dreams are left withered, check out the article below by Michael Walsh of the NY Daily News written on this man.

Now tell me Whats your dream?

By Michael Walsh / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Thursday, July 26, 2012

One man rode his rickshaw from his Chinese village to London to “spread the Olympic spirit,” demonstrating that competing athletes don’t accomplish all great Olympic feats.

Chen Guanming, a 57-year-old farmer, claims he embarked on his epic two-year journey in April 2010. Over the next two years, he cycled his three-wheel rickshaw through 16 countries, overcoming floods, towering mountains, unbearably temperatures and war zones to be part of the Olympic story.

He supported himself through donations and by delivering goods. Friends and generous people also aided him throughout his adventure, reports the Associated Press.

During the first few countries he traversed, he had to wring sweat from his clothes due to the intolerable heat, reports the BBC. In Thailand, he also confronted harrowing floods.

He was refused a visa to Burma, so he retraced his path and instead went through Tibet, where he pedaled his rickshaw up lofty mountains, over 20,000 feet high.

Chen cycled through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to Turkey, where he was snowed in for four days in below 22 degrees Fahrenheit. He said that being trapped in Turkey’s subzero climate and Thailand’s floods were his worst experiences.

“I came to support and cheer all the people from all over the world who are participating in the sports,” Chen said, “I’m volunteering, I’m not looking for a reward.”

When China won its Olympic bid in 2001, Chen cycled from his village in eastern China’s Jiangsu province through 1,764 cities to Beijing. He cleaned litter from the streets near the Olympic Park, reports the BBC.

Organizers awarded him a seat at the closing ceremony for his efforts. From within the stadium, he witnessed London Mayor Boris Johnson accept the Olympic flag in 2008. The profound moment inspired Chen’s unbelievable trek to the British capital.

He hopes to get a last minute ticket to the opening ceremony Friday, according to The Guardian.

People on London’s streets have been mesmerized by the extraordinary tales of his expedition. A banner across his rickshaw proclaims that he is on a 140,000km (86,992 miles) journey, reports the BBC. Pictures attached to the rickshaw show the traveler in front of multiple worldwide landmarks.

“Londoners are very welcoming,” Chen told AFP, “This city is welcoming the whole world in a very nice way.”

mwalsh@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/olympics-2012/rickshaw-driver-cycles-world-china-london-olympics-2012-article-1.1122722#ixzz221YC6GUH

About these ads