Chen Hanwei Cycled 320KM From M'sia To S'pore For Charity; Stopped In JB To Pay Respects To His 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 and spanned across 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, Andie Chen, Elvin Ng, Felicia Chin and Hanwei, who took on the final leg of the journey.

Hanwei crossed the finishing line at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) school in Pasir Ris yesterday (Aug 19). 

Hanwei was also welcomed home by the rest of his relay mates, well, except Elvin who, um, locked himself in his walk-in wardrobe at home. 

Hanwei 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 Hanwei'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 Hanwei'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.

Hanwei 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.