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Scott Thompson: Wheels of Charity
Test drive: Scottish national Scott Thompson gives his becak (three-wheeled vehicle) a try in Jakarta before launching his BecakTerus challenge, pedaling 2,612 kilometers from Banda Aceh to Jakarta to raise funds for Indonesian kids
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Test drive: Scottish national Scott Thompson gives his becak (three-wheeled vehicle) a try in Jakarta before launching his BecakTerus challenge, pedaling 2,612 kilometers from Banda Aceh to Jakarta to raise funds for Indonesian kids.(JP/Don)" height="341" border="0" width="512">Test drive: Scottish national Scott Thompson gives his becak (three-wheeled vehicle) a try in Jakarta before launching his BecakTerus challenge, pedaling 2,612 kilometers from Banda Aceh to Jakarta to raise funds for Indonesian kids.(JP/Don)The Flying Merah Putih is currently steering its way along the highways of Sumatra before reaching the finish line in neighboring Java, in a reminder of the important things in life.
Scottish national Scott Thompson is the man literally behind the becak (three-wheeled vehicle), pedaling 2,612 kilometers from Banda Aceh to Jakarta to raise funds for Indonesian kids.
Thompson hopes he can achieve the challenge, which he has named BecakTerus, in three weeks at an average rate of 140 kilometers daily or whatever distance he can cover in 12 hours on the road each day.
âI have used up my leave this year for the trip, which included the one-week leave I carried over from last year. It must finish in 21 days,â he said in an interview before launching the charity event on Sept. 27.
Thompson began preparations a year ago, starting with buying his vehicle from a becak driver in Tangerang and having it modified with the help of some mechanic friends and bicycle store Technobike.
The rickety old rickshaw-meets-bicycle now has a new frame with wheels fit for a road bike, a Volkswagen steering damper to stabilize the drive, a Garmin GPS device, battery-powered lights and the old-fashioned, rubber-bulb bike horns.
Why a becak?
âI want it to represent Indonesia; although it is banned in Jakarta, it always meets a good reception outside Jakarta.
âThe name itself is associated with The Flying Scotsman [the historic train in Scotland], not because itâs particularly quick but because they both today are no longer relevant but in the past they were,â said Thompson, the husband of Lau and father to Kyra.
While giving new life to the becak â Thompson is considering keeping it as he grew an attachment to it through training â he is giving it a new purpose.
Through his website becakterus.com and the website of Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB Foundation), which focuses on youth development, Thompson is raising funds for the foundation as well as three other non-profit organizations.
They are Maryâs Cancer Kiddies, which improves the quality of life of children with cancer, Yayasan Puspita that provides education to street children and Yayasan Wisma Cheshire Indonesia that focuses on young people with mobility disabilities.
His contribution will also raise public awareness on the four foundations and their work.
As he mounted the becak on the first day of the journey, he had collected over Rp 5.6 billion (US$385,240) and counting.
BecakTerus is his third charity act undertaken for the welfare of Indonesian kids.
span class="inline inline-center">Test drive: Scottish national Scott Thompson gives his becak (three-wheeled vehicle) a try in Jakarta before launching his BecakTerus challenge, pedaling 2,612 kilometers from Banda Aceh to Jakarta to raise funds for Indonesian kids.(JP/Don) The Flying Merah Putih is currently steering its way along the highways of Sumatra before reaching the finish line in neighboring Java, in a reminder of the important things in life. Scottish national Scott Thompson is the man literally behind the becak (three-wheeled vehicle), pedaling 2,612 kilometers from Banda Aceh to Jakarta to raise funds for Indonesian kids. In 2010, Thompson took part in a 250-kilometer ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert and reached the finish line in three days. All proceeds he raised were donated to Mary's Cancer Kiddies.
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Thompson hopes he can achieve the challenge, which he has named BecakTerus, in three weeks at an average rate of 140 kilometers daily or whatever distance he can cover in 12 hours on the road each day.
'I have used up my leave this year for the trip, which included the one-week leave I carried over from last year. It must finish in 21 days,' he said in an interview before launching the charity event on Sept. 27.
Thompson began preparations a year ago, starting with buying his vehicle from a becak driver in Tangerang and having it modified with the help of some mechanic friends and bicycle store Technobike.
The rickety old rickshaw-meets-bicycle now has a new frame with wheels fit for a road bike, a Volkswagen steering damper to stabilize the drive, a Garmin GPS device, battery-powered lights and the old-fashioned, rubber-bulb bike horns.
Why a becak?
'I want it to represent Indonesia; although it is banned in Jakarta, it always meets a good reception outside Jakarta.
'The name itself is associated with The Flying Scotsman [the historic train in Scotland], not because it's particularly quick but because they both today are no longer relevant but in the past they were,' said Thompson, the husband of Lau and father to Kyra.
While giving new life to the becak ' Thompson is considering keeping it as he grew an attachment to it through training ' he is giving it a new purpose.
Through his website becakterus.com and the website of Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB Foundation), which focuses on youth development, Thompson is raising funds for the foundation as well as three other non-profit organizations.
They are Mary's Cancer Kiddies, which improves the quality of life of children with cancer, Yayasan Puspita that provides education to street children and Yayasan Wisma Cheshire Indonesia that focuses on young people with mobility disabilities.
His contribution will also raise public awareness on the four foundations and their work.
As he mounted the becak on the first day of the journey, he had collected over Rp 5.6 billion (US$385,240) and counting.
BecakTerus is his third charity act undertaken for the welfare of Indonesian kids.
He thought of doing something similar on Indonesian soil, running a total of 1,250 kilometers from Bali to Jakarta in four weeks in 2012 to help YCAB build four rumah belajar (informal schools) for underprivileged children in Bali, Situbondo, Banyuwangi and Marunda.
Thompson, who humbly described himself as a middle-aged man of medium height with hairy ears yet mostly bald, never considered himself an athlete although he had developed the habit of running to keep fit.
The native of the west coast of Scotland has lived in Jakarta for 12 years ' the longest time he has spent in one place during his career ' and currently acts as a director with coal company Harum Energy. He described Jakarta as one of the world's best cities.
'I can't find a better working place than Jakarta and the time I have been here has been fantastic,' said Thompson.
His love for the country drove his personal motivation for his charity acts.
'I'm not doing this for publicity,' he said. 'I came up with this idea to see if I can help someone while I'm training on my own as I set up my own physical and mental challenges, which is to have a purpose to wake up in the morning and to find balance in life.
'Many people asked me why I'm doing this at my age because BecakTerus, I admit, is a bit extreme. Let's say that I'm hoping someone younger and fitter will take up the challenge, too. Then I'd be happy.'
Through his website he interfaced with onlookers by connecting them with his GPS device to track his location in real time.
His support staff also posted photos and videos of Thompson so that viewers could also see the richness of the nature and the Indonesian cultural diversity he experienced along his journey.
Locals greeted him and children sent their support and drawings to Thompson, who eagerly invited everyone to run alongside the becak.
Thompson was thankful for the support he has received, including the nod of understanding from Jakarta's traffic police that his becak was an exercise tool and not a working becak.
'The becak moves slowly, but everything that is happening around it gives the momentum that charges it.'
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