Man stops in Champaign while cycling around the world

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – One man is making his mark on the world with just two wheels by cycling around the globe.

His journey around the world has now taken him to the United States, where he’ll be taking his next leg of the journey. He’s known on his social media as Shengqiang Xu, but his real name is Yifei Xu.

Before cycling through the United States, Xu traveled from Shanghai to Paris, through Germany and Russia. As he makes his way through, his mission is to complete the trip without any money.

Xu’s food, places to stay, and everything aside from his plane ticket and ferry rides were all donated to him through the kindness of communities around the world.

He’s doing all of this on his bicycle to push himself in the extreme challenge in order to better his mental and physical health.

“Just as today I chose to cross the United States in the summer, 12 years ago, I chose to cross Russia in the winter so that I could push the boundaries of my spirit in my world,” Xu said. “So, I’m more for my spirit, so, I work for my spirit.”

Now, as he makes his way through the States, he’ll face the same challenge. He made a stop in Champaign last week and is now on his way to San Francisco, California.

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