Making a difference
SUPER Cycling Man Will Hodson, a former primary school teacher, visited Nexus International School in Putrajaya recently and regaled the schoolchildren with stories of his cycling adventures around the world.
Hodson, 40, a Briton, has also been visiting various schools around the world to spread the message of doing small acts of kindness to make a difference in the community.
He is on a quest to becoming the first person to cycle 100,000km across seven continents (including Antarctica) in a superhero costume.
He wants to inspire 100,000 schoolchildren around the world and raise £100,000 (RM558,710) for certain charitable bodies.
At Nexus, he visited classrooms and spoke to young children (preschoolers to Year Six pupils), inspiring them with the positive message, #WeCanAllBeHeroes.
Four years ago, Hodson had the idea of being a superhero after reading a children’s book,
M ax, to his class of five-year-olds. Max is about a little boy who does good deeds including saving a spider.
“The message (in the book) is: We can all be heroes in small ways. The whole class made superhero costumes,” he said.
Gradually, it dawned on him that he could don a superhero outfit and call himself, Super Cycling Man, when he cycled around the world!
Some children had questions for him in a Q&A session. They asked him about communication barriers, finding resources, solving challenges, sampling new food and his superhero outfit.
The children also had a mini geography lesson when this “cycling superhero” showed his route across all seven continents on the world map and, pictures from his journey to schools in different countries.
Arriving in Malaysia
In early August this year, Hodson rode into Malaysia (along the west coast) from Thailand and stayed with his host families in Kuala Lumpur for a week.
He also gave a talk on his adventures to a local adventure bicycle touring community before travelling to Singapore.
Recently, in early November, he cycled back to Malaysia to give talks in schools. On Nov 19, he left Kuala Lumpur to continue his journey (this time, along the east coast) heading north. He is now in Thailand.
Since May 2015, Hodson has embarked on his solo cycling tour around the world. He hopes to complete his journey in January 2022.
Hodson has a YouTube channel, SuperCyclingMan, and constantly updates fans by uploading new videos of his world tour.
His official website is linked to “a super live tracker” to keep his supporters updated. His other social media tools are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hodson’s father who is in his 70s, has Parkinson’s disease.
Hence, he wants to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK as well as other charities like The World Cancer Research Fund, World Bicycle Relief and Sustrans (a sustainable transport charity).
Hodson believes that public donations will go a long way to help the charities he is supporting.
“I’m a big believer in support- ing these charities (like Parkinson’s UK).
“I’m sure they will find the cure for Parkinson’s over time.
“Maybe, there’s an amazing scientist in Nexus who will be the person who makes that breakthrough,” he said during a talk in Nexus.
Set up in 2008, Nexus International School (Nexus) is a member of the Taylor’s Education Group, which encompasses some of the largest and most successful international schools in Malaysia and Singapore.
Nexus caters to learners from pre-school level to year 13 and offers the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.