22 The QUEE NS Courier • august 27, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Flushing welcomes Chinese rickshaw rider on world tour BY ALINA SURIEL [email protected]/@alinangelica Councilman Peter Koo came out to the Flushing library on Aug. 22 to welcome Chen Guanming, a Chinese farmer riding his rickshaw around the world to spread the Olympic message of peace among nations. Chen, 60, began to pull his rickshaw around the globe after being inspired by the arrival of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He made his way through Asia and Europe to arrive in time for the London Olympic Games in 2012, and then continued on through Canada and the United States. “I started doing this to challenge myself and to spread the Olympic spirit of world peace around the world,” Guanming said. “I hope to encourage people to work hard, stay healthy by exercising, and to realize that no dream is too big if you have the will to accomplish it.” So far, Chen has traveled over 170,000 kilometers through 24 nations. His next destination is Washington, D.C, and he expects to arrive in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro in time for the 2016 Olympic Games. Koo said Chen is an inspiration to the young and old and he was grateful that so many Flushing residents came out to encourage his spirit. The councilman awarded Chen with a certificate to honor his dedication to promoting international harmony. “The state of the world today is plagued by incidents of terrorism, financial crisis, hunger and disease,” Koo said. “In his travels, Mr. Chen has seen more than most of us ever will, and with sheer force of will and an impenetrable optimism, his passage begets a glimmer of hope and encouragement for all he encounters.” Chen was also making appearances with his rickshaw at the Flushing library to meet and pose for pictures with well-wishers for the next week. Photo courtesy of the office of Peter Koo Chen Guanming pulling his rickshaw in the streets of Flushing. WWE stars spend time with patients at St. Mary’s Hospital in Bayside THE COURIER/Photo by Alina Suriel Dean Ambrose and Renee Young of World Wrestling Entertainment pose with fans at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. BY ALINA SURIEL [email protected]/@alinangelica World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) stars were at Bayside’s St. Mary’s Hospital for Children on Aug. 19 for a meet-and-greet with their fans. Wrestler Dean Ambrose and WWE commentator Renee Young first spent time at the care facility with patients in a group for disabled young adults aged 18 to 26. The stars gave out autographs and replicas of WWE championship belts, and then moved through the hospital, first to an area with younger fans and then to private rooms for bedside appearances. “It’s so cool to be able to come in here and get to hang out and see their faces light up when you come in the room,” Young said. “They see us on TV, and just to have that one-on-one experience with them is amazing.” Ambrose — a former WWE U.S. Champion who hails from Cincinnati and cuts a massive figure at 6 feet 4 inches tall and 225 pounds — said that he was impressed with the positive attitudes of the patients he met that day. “It’s always nice to come in and see someone stuck in the hospital on a nice day and who still has such a positive energy and outlook, and being able to use WWE to brighten up their day more,” Ambrose said. “It always makes us feel good to help out anybody.”
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