TOP SPORTS OFFICIAL HONORS CYCLING FAMILY
Taipei, Aug. 15 (CNA) The nation’s top sports official praised the sportsmanship of the four members of a Taipei cyclist family Friday who recently returned to Taiwan after their 13-month, 23,600-kilometer globe-trotting journey.
Chairman Lin Teh-fu of the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports presented the family with a plaque and a check for NT$600,000 (US$17,390).
The elder son, Huang Chien-chia, wrote a two-volume book called “Going after your dreams by pedaling around the world” based on his observations along the way.
Chien-chia said that the two volumes chronicle their hardships, laughter and tears during the trip… The council bought 3,000 copies of Chien-chia’s book as a form of encouragement.
Aside from the fact that riding a bike around the world is not a sport, can just anyone hop on a bike and head out knowing that you’ll be paid for it by the sports council and that they will buy 3,000 copies of your book, regardless whether it is good or not?
Hey John! Why didn’t the Tourism Bureau buy 3,000 copies of your “Odyssey”? (Or did they?)
I consider drinking beer a sport. Starting today, I will embark on a 3,000-beer drinking odyssey and write a book about it in the full expectation of receiving NT$600,000 from the national council. That ought to be just enough to cover the expenses and taxi rides to and from the bar.
Well cycling is a sport, the Tour de Farce and all that. But this family trip was a horse of a different colour…
I can’t believe they get a cash reward for their trip AND free buy of 3,000 books. It’s funny!
Can imagine now all the families in Taiwan who will start off on their own epic adventures around the world, all for the reward money.
What’s the backstory to this cash payoff? is the father a crony of the sports council. and is the publisher of the book a classmate of the poppa from long ago? weird shit. funny. pathetic.
can’t wait to see all the other families taking off soon: sailing, running around the world a la Forrest Gump, mtn climbing in Nepal, walking around the world. unbelievabele.
i mean, i appluad the family it’;s cool what they did. but in the hell is this money stuff going on? backstory please!
does anyone at CNA know, or care? as i remember two women biked aroudn the world a few years ago, starting in Tainin,. did they get paid too>?
Hmmm, I saw a hakkasonic looking chap last night. By my reckoning the guy only has 2900 beers left to go before reaching his goal. At that pace he could be 600K the wealther in a month. The recyled bottles alone would greatly reduce the investment involved in this most sporting endeavor.
I fully intend to donate all my empties to Taiwanese families cycling about the globe and spreading news of stinky tofu and scooters to communities from timbuktu to katmandu. If Taiwan’s government can dream with its Challenge Year 2008 plans, then surely I can do the same with my Challenge Beer 3000.
