24-year old student Chua Jing Zhi and his 44 friends from local hobby group EPIC Cyclists battled fierce weather elements, rolling hills, and their aching bodies as they embarked on an incredible journey this February (25-28).

The contingent – comprising riders in their 20s to 60s - cycled more than 1,000km in a fund-raising stint for the Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF), passing Malacca, Kuantan, and Mersing along the way.

Source: Wilson Toh, strava.com 

Maintaining an active lifestyle is a part of Chua’s daily routine. The National University of Singapore (NUS) final-year undergraduate is an Army Commando and active tri-athlete who puts in 14-23 hours every week for swimming, running, and core training. However, the bike ride still posed severe challenges to him.

Day 1 

The first 48 hours of the ride were the toughest for Chua. After riding more than 10 hours on Day 1, Chua stayed up to complete his final year thesis, which was due a week after the ride.

Day 2

The team spent more than 15 hours on the road on Day 2, covering a distance of more than 278km with an elevation gain of 2,614m. Chua was so sleep-deprived that he nodded off a few times while cycling. Fortunately, his forty winks did not result in major accidents – although the riders did crash several times.

Another difficulty for Chua was his dietary preferences. Being a vegan for ethical, health and environmental reasons, he does not consume any form of animal products, including meat, eggs, or even dairy products. This makes it difficult for Chua to participate in the indulgent prata breakfasts. In fact, all except two of his meals were pre-packed foo

Day 3

As the saying goes, “the darkest hour is just before dawn”. Day 3 was the most relaxing day for the group, with flatter roads and shorter distances to cover. Despite the unwelcome haze, morale was high as the cyclists arrived at their hotel relatively early. Some of them even had an ice bath that evening to soothe their fatigued muscles. 

On multiple occasions, Chua contemplated giving up by hitching a hike on the support vehicle.

His inspiration? The patients at the KDF, who face a daily battle to survive. Kidney failure is a life-threatening condition which requires patients to undergo a transplant or dialysis for the rest of their lives. Singapore has the fifth highest rate of kidney failure in the world.

Through this ride, Chua and his fellow cyclists have already raised more than $230,000, but are still short of their $250,000 target.

Donations to the KDF via EPIC Cyclists remain open till 31st March 2014. Readers can find out more about the initiative and make a donation here.

Photo source from Chua Jing Zhi and EPIC Cyclists.

Find Mothership.SG on Facebook and Twitter.