Project Apex 850 Endurance Cyclotron 2014

In an effort to instil a sense of service, bonding, understanding and cultivating a heart for charity, 29 cyclists, 15 of them from Singapore and 14 from Penang, rode a total of 850km from Singapore to Penang, stopping at Melaka, Rawang and Ipoh along the way.

The four-day endurance cycling charity event saw the cyclists going at an average speed of 32km/h, covering some 210km per day along the Federal road. A collaboration between Apex Club of Penang and its Singapore counterpart, this was the return leg of last year’s similar cycling endurance race from Penang to Singapore, with a slightly different route. This year’s theme is ‘With a heart for charity and international understanding’.

While the Apex Club of Singapore has raised SGD200,000 for the Apex Harmony Lodge in Pasir Ris, Singapore, the Apex Club of Penang managed to raise RM250,000 for Apex Penang Education Fund.

During its break in Ipoh, the Apex Club of Penang donated RM3,000 to the school rebuilding fund of SJK(C) Sam Chai, Ipoh. Mr. Lee Chee Ming, co-owner of Symphony Suites Hotel, the Ipoh host for Project Apex 850 Endurance Cyclotron 2014, also made a personal donation of RM2,000 to the school fund.

One of the cyclists who participated in the racing event was Ong Boon Kok, a first time participant of Apex 850. Ong, 44, who runs his own lorry transport business, is recovering from rectum cancer. Always been active in sports, including in triathlon, football and iron-man competitions since participating in the Malaysian Cub Prix at the age of 21, cancer certainly wasn’t going to slow him down.

Ong took the opportunity to thank his sponsors, his wife Ooi Ling Ling who took care of him during his illness, his family, friends and also team mates. He praised the support team for their professionalism. Ong’s message by participating in Apex 850, despite his health condition, was to live strong and fight against cancer at all odds.

Tannie Wong was one of two female cyclists in the peloton of cyclists. Originally from Ipoh but now working in Penang as a Supply Chain Manager, this cycling event was her second participation.

Tannie did not particularly prepare for this race, except that she makes long rides of an average of 160km every weekend. Tannie said, “The course this year is a lot tougher because of the hilly terrain. Moreover, the sun has been unforgiving. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable ride; the support crew was awesome.”

Klaus Redomske, 44, is a German national who has been working in Singapore for the past ten years as Marketing Director for Lexus and Toyota. Being the vehicle sponsor, Klaus decided to participate in the event himself as he loves cycling too, although unaccustomed to long rides.

He said, “The roads are more hilly in Malaysia and the heat is terrible. It’s a challenge to complete the ride but the biggest obstacle is the mind. It’s a team effort and we have a fantastic support crew from Penang. This has been an enriching experience. I was particularly touched when we were greeted by 200 students of SJK(T) Kuala Kubu Bahru, one of our beneficiaries of this charity event. The faces of happy children certainly made my day as I also have a 6-year-old son.”

Project Chairman Edward Mai said that the Apex Club of Penang, a registered service organisation, aims to foster goodwill and comradeship through cycling. At the same time, the club’s education fund has been supporting undergraduates in Penang who are facing financial difficulties. To know more about Apex Club of Penang, check out their Facebook page: Apex Club of Penang.

Those who would like to donate to the school rebuilding fund of SJK(C) Sam Chai of Ipoh which is still short of RM2 million, may do so by issuing a cheque to:

‘Tabung Pembangunan SJK(C) Sam Chai’ or deposit cash to its Maybank Account No.: 508038127860. For further details, contact the school directly:

Add: SJK(C) Sam Chai Ipoh, Jalan Shah Bandar, 31650 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel: 05-2415483 / 05-2548807
Fax: 05‑2548807
Email: samchai_cs@yahoo.com

Event: Project Apex 850 Endurance Cyclotron 2014 (Ipoh)
Venue: Symphony Suites Hotel, Ipoh
Date: 27th Feb, 2014
Time: 3.30pm

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