CRI听力:From Beijing to London, 4 Years for Olympic Flame, 2 Years for Chinese Man

It's a tale of Olympian proportions: A man, a rickshaw, and a slow journey from a Chinese village to London through 16 countries.

Chen Guanming started his journey in 2010. His two-year odyssey to the London games took him from Thailand's floods to snow-struck Turkey.

"I came to support and cheer all the people from all over the world who are taking part in the sports."

Chen says he was inspired to come to London at the end of the Beijing Olympics in 2008

"At the end of the 2008 Paralympic Games, I was invited by the British media to come here. They said they hoped to see me at the London Olympics."

His journey began in April 2010 in his village in eastern China's Jiangsu, where he farms rice and other crops.

He was helped in his finances by friends and donations from around the globe, especially from Chinese communities.

When asked whether he considered other means of transport, he says riding a tricycle can showcase Chinese culture.

"This method illustrates a characteristic of Chinese vehicles and also shows an aspect of our Chinese culture. Automobiles, motorbikes, are all vehicles that other people have used. I don't want to use methods that other people have already taken."

The banner on the side of his tricycle says, "I hope every athlete perform excellent and can bring pride to their own country. I hope my story can contribute to world peace and environmental protection".

Of course, his journey doesn't end in London.

Chen says he plans to take a ferry to the United States and Canada, and he also wants to go to Rio de Janeiro for the next Games in 2016.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.