Actor Chen Hanwei cycled from Selangor to Singapore in charity event, stopped in JB to pay respects to late mum

Cycling more than 320km back to Singapore from Malaysia may sound like an impossible challenge to most people (this writer included), but not for Chen Hanwei. 

The 55-year-old Mediacorp actor was part of Mediacorp's celebrity charity cycling relay show Pedal On For Love, which was a whopping 5,000km journey.

The relay route started in Kunming, China, and spanned six countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia. The journey took 70 days and was completed through the combined efforts of 11 artistes, including Tay Ping Hui, Elvin Ng, Felicia Chin and Chen Hanwei, who took on the final leg of the journey.

Chen crossed the finishing line at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) school in Pasir Ris on Aug 19. He was welcomed home by most of his relay mates. 

The actor shared that his journey also had a very personal pitstop. He started cycling from Selangor and stopped in Johor Bahru along the way to pay respects to his late mother, who passed away in July last year, he said in an interview with Zaobao.sg.

“The most beautiful view was really the journey home. I cycled back to see my mum," he said. 

The on-site reporter also noticed that Chen's shoelaces were faintly stained with blood while his knees were wounded.

Turns out, the road conditions were rough, causing him to fall multiple times – once even into a patch of grass.

The long-distance cycling also left Chen's buttocks in severe pain, and he was shocked to see a large bruise on his tush after the entire event.

“I’ve been in pain since day one. There’s no other way except one word: Endure. So every day, I just endured," he recalled.

Chen lamented that, at first, his manager simply told him that he was going to take part in a “cycling travel show”. He mistakenly thought it would be a relaxing journey, and agreed without hesitation.

The actor only realised after various meetings and training sessions that the challenge was far from easy.

“Next time, I really need clarify what [I'll be doing]," he laughed.

This story was originally published in 8Days.