A unicycle team from Wong Yuan Elementary School in Kaohsiung’s Daliao District (大寮) yesterday set off for a 104km road trip, with the goal of setting a record among the nation’s elementary schools for the longest-distance unicycle ride.
The 16-strong team left yesterday morning for Kenting (墾丁) in Pingtung County, and was accompanied by parents and teachers on bicycles and in cars to provide medical and other assistance.
The team plans to complete the trip in two days, which presents quite a challenge for the young cyclists.
Photo: Hung Chen-hung, Taipei Times
While school authorities have carefully planned the trip, such as avoiding areas with strong winds, the children are nonetheless excited, saying: “One has to go all-out crazy at least once in their lifetime.”
The school said it would endeavor to satisfy the students’ requests, but such a decision is predicated on ensuring their safety.
At 104km, it is the longest trip the team has ever attempted, the school said.
The students have taken part in several training sessions, including a 28km ride from the school campus to Taiwan Sugar’s plant in Kaohsiung’s Ciaotou District (橋頭), as well as a 40km ride to Chaozhou Township (潮州) and a 65km ride to Dapeng Bay (大鵬灣), both in Pingtung County, it said.
One of the students, Lu Chih-hsin (呂芷昕), said that unicycles are “cool” because they can be used for performances, while another student, Hsu Chi-hsuan (許齊軒), said they are a great form of exercise.
Coach Kuo Ke-wei (郭克偉) said the cyclists expect to cover 10km per hour, including pit-stops for rest.
“We hope to complete 82km on our first day,” Kuo said, adding that the team would be stopping at Jialu Elementary School in Fangshan Township (枋山), Pingtung, to meet with the school team there.
Students who complete the trip will receive a certificate, Kuo said.
Wong Yuan Elementary School dean Lin Chin-sui (林金穗) said that the trip would put the participants’ hard training to the test, but it would be an unforgettable experience for them.
The team has won multiple awards since its formation in 2012. It was one of the featured performers at this year’s Love River Lantern Festival, the school said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Many Japanese couples are coming to Taiwan to obtain donated sperm or eggs for fertility treatment due to conservatism in their home country, Taiwan’s high standards and low costs, doctors said. One in every six couples in Japan is receiving infertility treatment, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show. About 70,000 children are born in Japan every year through in vitro fertilization (IVF), or about one in every 11 children born. Few people accept donated reproductive cells in Japan due to a lack of clear regulations, leaving treatment in a “gray zone,” Taichung Nuwa Fertility Center medical director Wang Huai-ling (王懷麟)
PROXIMITY: Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location, the Executive Yuan official said Taiwan plans to boost cooperation with the Czech Republic in semiconductor development due to Prague’s pivotal role in the European IC industry, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said. With Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) building a wafer fab in the German city of Dresden, a Germany-Czech Republic-Poland “silicon triangle” is forming, Kung said in a media interview on the weekend after returning from a visit to Prague. “Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location,” he said. “Taiwan and Prague have already launched direct flights and it is
RSS