PEDALLING TO BRING JOY TO ILL CHILDREN
Aedewan cycles through the Wild Atlantic way in Ireland to raise RM25,000
ALONG-distance Malaysian adventure cyclist is pedalling his way across Ireland in a Transatlantic Way Challenge to raise RM25,000 to support Red Bubbles Clown Doctors in bringing joy and laughter to seriouslyill children in hospitals across Malaysia.
Aedewan Adnan, 39, embarked on the self-supported 2,500km race last Sunday from Dublin through some of the most scenic, albeit quite remote, Wild Atlantic way, along western Ireland’s Atlantic coastline.
With this being his first race for charity, Aedewan, when met during a meeting in London before the race, informed that he chose the Red Bubbles Clown Doctors because he believed they were working for a good cause and because children deserved to be happy.
He is the first-ever Malaysian to enter the challenge ride where “there is no prize for 1st, 2nd and 3rd”.
The Irish weather is something to contend with and self-reliance during the race makes this event a challenge not to be underestimated.
Aedewan expressed hope that he will be able to finish the ride in 10 days.
Reporting after reaching Checkpoint 1 on the third day, Aedewan, who rode with his cousin Danial Mokhtar, 34, said they had cycled for about 5km outside of Derry until 1am and had so far done 537km.
“We found this abandoned workshop to sleep in and woke up at 4am to start cycling at 4.45am,” said Aedewan, after making some steep climbs in Donegal, passing the wild Atlantic coast, descending a gravel path to Glenveagh National Park, and taking in some beautiful sights as well an enchanting sunset along the coast.
The first day saw Aedewan pedalling 235km in 12 hours.
“I was doing all right during the first 30km but the temperature rose in the afternoon. The highest was 28 degrees Celsius and I was struggling for about 70km. It cooled down from 5pm to about 16 degrees,” said Aedewan when he arrived in Derry at 11pm on the first day.
Iskandar Syah Ismail, a clown doctor and founder of Red Bubbles, said the money would fund their weekly visits to paediatric cancer wards during the year.
“Currently, we have four clown doctors and now we are planning to train and recruit young artistes and theatre graduates to make this a career,” added Iskandar Syah who, with his team of clown doctors, had been bringing joy and fun to children’s wards up and down Malaysia.