Cikgu Adnan - KL to Beijing
Dear OPs,
I was forwarded this NST's artice on Cikgu Adnan an arts teacher in RMC during the 80s and 90s, by my batchmate OP Doc Hisyam (one of the Ironman OPs).
Note that the writer mentioned that Cikgu Adnan was once a teacher in RMC, I guess Cikgu Adnan took much pride in being associated with the college.
I am trying to organize a 'send off' ride for Cikgu Adnan during the Malaysian section of his ride. Most likely, we will be riding from Putrajaya to Ipoh. The ride is scheduled for mid August (when he starts his ride Beijing). According to Mat Licin (Cigku Adnan's riding partner to Beijing), they will do most of their cycling at night.. so, anyone up for a night ride up to Ipoh (it'll most likely take 2 nights)? if yes, you'll have 3 months to train for it!!
Also attached is a letter from Doc Hisyam to the NST writer.
Regards
OP Azly 87-91 Alpha
Johan Jaaffar: Adnan and his Beijing dream
Adnan Osman was a 50-year-old teacher at SM Taman Desa 17 years ago. He has run 12 marathons since. Adnan has also climbed all the 12 mountains above 2,100m in the country. He reached the peak of Gunung Tahan 15 times and Gunung Kinabalu three times.
Last year, he took up cycling seriously. This month, he and his cycling partner, Mazlan Rahmad, will push the limit of their ageing bodies. They are cycling to Beijing.
Adnan admitted that it was only in his 50s that he took exercising seriously. Today, despite his age, he is involved in extreme sports - kayaking, mountain climbing, marathon running and cycling. He is a fitness freak.
Adnan is a regular at my favourite teh tarik joint. The stall belongs to Idrus Buang and his family.
Situated just next to the PJ Old Town bus station, Warung Rus is frequented by interesting individuals including a number of Datuks. Many are pensioners.
There is a former speaker of a state assembly, an English writer and a driver cum body guard of a rich towkay. And, of course there is Cigku Ahmad Mahmud, who will enter history as one of the few who represented the country in two different sports - decathlon and rugby. Ahmad was with Universiti Malaya's sports department until he retired.
The orang kuat at the warung is Bang Din or Shamsuddin Hassan, an affable political operator who has an ear for even the most virulent attack against the party he represented. The warung is as multiracial as it can get, Chinese, Indians and Malays sipping teh tarik or teh Abang Boleh and Misai Kuching or savouring rice with asam pedas or ikan keli goreng prepared by Kamariah the cook.
There are always heated debates on almost every topic under the sun, politics, of course, eliciting the most attention. A few days ago, there was a furious discussion on why a sportsman as illustrious as Cikgu Ahmad was not included as one of the torchbearers during the Olympic torch run here. In fact, he was not even invited as a guest.
Adnan is taking his trip to Beijing seriously. It is an adventure unlike any other beginning in Kuala Lumpur just in time for the opening of the Summer Olympics.
The entire distance would be 9,000km crossing the Malaysia-Thailand border at Bukit Kayu Hitam, then to Bangkok, heading towards Vientiane in Laos, later to Hanoi and from the Chinese border town of Nanning, heading north towards Beijing.
There will be places like Trang Ranong, Songkhran, Nakon Ratchasima, Beung Khan, Than Hoa, Liuchow, Guilin, Wuhan, Jinan and Tianjin that he and Mazlan will have to pass through - names that are as strange as the culture of the people.
The journey will take almost two months if the duo cycle an average of 100 to 160km a day. They will have to endure traffic, dust, heat, probably even rough roads and gravel dirt tracks. Adnan will be cycling the Old Faithful, his touring bicycle, a Chromolly made in Taiwan.
It is not just the cyclists that must be super fit, their bicycles too have to be strong and fitted with the necessary accessories. Adnan and his partner have been training rigorously since last year, the latest was a punishing trip to Cameron Highlands and down to Gua Musang and back.
At 67, there is a limit to what the body can take. But Adnan is no quitter. He has dreamt of this journey almost his entire life. It is a golden opportunity that the venue is Beijing as the last time the Olympics was held in Asia was in Seoul in 1988. You never know when the next Olympics will be held in Asia, he will tell you. But at that age? "Humans are made of steel, there is no limit to what we can do."
He understands the perils of the journey. It is not that such a distance has not been covered on a bicycle before, but dangers lurk everywhere. He believes a person of average fitness would require at least three months of monitored training to attain the fitness level to undertake the challenge.
Adnan is no stranger to pain and sickness as the result of his efforts. He was hospitalised for sampling yak steak in Nepal and suffered altitude sickness at Mount Everest.
Adnan was a teacher all his working life. He was trained at Brinsford Lodge Teachers College in England in 1962 and 1963. He came back to teach at various schools, including a decade at Royal Military College.
But it was after leaving the profession that he found new satisfaction in outdoor sports. He was once the vice-president of the Association of Backpackers Malaysia.
He started High Altitude Treks, a company that takes trekkers to Nepal and Tibet. Last year, he took part in the 100km Petaling Jaya-Port Dickson run to raise money for a girl with kidney problems. He has participated in two 24-hour endurance walks. He found it gratifying that he was running marathons with his former students, many of them half his age.
You would think the idea of putting Malaysia on the world map of endurance sports would get help from many quarters. After all, as his letter to potential sponsors put it, "it will inspire young Malaysians to explore and chart new frontiers in physical and mental endeavours". He wrote, met, cajoled, pleaded and even threatened everyone who mattered.
A newspaper organisation wrote back to say that they were not interested in publishing his journals. A number of companies turned him down. He wrote to the Youth and Sports Ministry for help. He never knew they were so efficient. His letter dated Jan 10 received a reply a few days later. The answer was no.
Letter From OP Hisyam:
Mr Johan Jaafar,
NST
Sir,
Asalamualaikum, First of all, I am a fan of your weekly columns and essays in the NST. Today i read your article regarding Cikgu Adnan with joy and with pride not to mention admiration for the man. I am one of the hundreds if not thousands of students having passed under Cikgu Adnan's wings. He was my arts teacher and company commander when I was studying in the Royal Military College between 1987 to 1991.
When you mention to OP's (old puteras/ ex student of the college) about Cikgu Adnan, people will remember the gentle but stern arts teacher. People will remember also the calm composed gentleman that he always was. Those interested in arts will testify that he was a keen arts teacher who encourages his students to strive harder. Two of my batch mates who were mentored by him are now established architects and Interior designers, no doubt cikgu Adnan being a big influence in their chosen career.
But people may not know, that besides being a wonderful individual cikgu Adnan is actively involved in all those activities that you had wrote about.(marathon running, biking, mountain climbing and a lot of other adventurous stuff) He has also spent a lot of time doing charity work. Despite being in his his golden years where most people would take it easy, cikgu Adnan continues to inspire others.
Just last month at the Kapas - Marang swimathon, he kayakked along my batch mate attempting to finish the race. He was among the last individual out of the water in the 6.5km race but there was cikgu adnan giving him encouragement all the way.Who would kayak in the hot sun for 3 hours just to accompany someone to make sure he makes it? Without cikgu, my friend said he wouldnt have made it. Cikgu adnan continues to motivate even till this day!
Which brings me to my first encounter with him since leaving college 17 years ago in 1991. Not surprisingly it was the KL Marathon where he nonchalantly overtook me and a fellow OP. Needless to say, he finished ahead of us half his age. This man is inspirational. I just hope more teachers, if not more people would be like him.
The next time you have your teh tarik with him, wish him all the best. A lot of 30 to 40 year olds from RMC are encouraging him on his Beijing epic. Knowing him, it will probably be a walk in the park.
Dr Hisyam Salleh
Subang Jaya.
