MALAYSIA: DISABLED SOLO CYCLIST PREPARES FOR ENDURANCE

MIRI (Malaysia), July 4 (Bernama) -- Withstanding hunger in hot weather was
among the training exercises that one-legged Junaidi Pauzan, 57, did in
preparation for his solo expedition on a wheel chair to cross Sarawak, an East
Malaysia state, over 900km from here to Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak
beginning Saturday.

The Sarawak Forestry Department pensioner, who lost his left leg in a
road accident 12 years ago, told Bernama the exercise was done to gauge his
endurance.

Although he is confident of completing the expedition in 12 days, he
admitted that the hot weather and the roads would be big challenges.

He expects roads in the Sri Aman division to be the most difficult but was
up to the challenge.

Junaidi is looking to set a new wheelchair distance record in the Malaysia
Book of Records.

On his disability, Junaidi said through the expedition he wanted to prove to
disabled persons of the same age group that they were capable of doing something
meaningful that not all people could do.


Before the expedition, Junaidi who is a national Para Olympics swimmer, had
made three successful swims of between 24-30km between 2007 and 2008

The State Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and
Communication, Lee Kim Shin, flagged off the expedition.

Lee said Junaidi would not only set a Malaysian record but also bring glory
to the state.

-- BERNAMA