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August 04, 2012
LONDON — Olympic fans have travelled to London from all over the world to see the 2012 Games but probably no-one's journey has been quite as epic as the one made by Chen Guanming. The Chinese farmer covered 60,000 kilometers by pedicab in order to get to the Games.
Chen Guanming says he loves being in London for the Olympics - and that’s a good thing since it took him two years to get here.
He road across 16 countries on this pedicab, all the way from his home in eastern China. And at 57 years old, that’s no walk in the park.
He’s a big fan of the Olympic spirit. "I wanted to express my Olympic spirit," said Chen. "And I wanted to send my message to all the teenagers in the world to help them get over the difficulties they are facing.
VOA found him in London’s Chinatown, where he has become something of a local celebrity.
“It’s really lovely that somebody of that age is willing to do that. It’s really lovely, team spirit. Very good,” said a woman.
The pedicab is plastered with photos of his adventure through just about every weather condition and terrain imaginable. And the fun doesn’t stop there.
“When the Olympics finish I will ride my pedicab to North America, through Canada, and then finally go to Brazil, for the next Olympics,” said Chen.
But first, he says, he’s going to enjoy the rest of the 2012 Games.
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