A enthusiast pedalled a whopping 8,699 miles from the to Manchester to meet his hero - Ochirvaani Batbold embarked on his epic journey from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on May 5, 2023. His year-long adventure saw him cycle through 19 countries, spending eight to ten hours daily on his bike. After traversing Austria, Germany, and France, the 27-year-old reached his destination exactly a year later - on May 5, 2024.
He revealed that the most challenging parts of his journey were "the cold weather, wind, and mountains. They were very challenging for me. But I appreciated the experience because it made me stronger than before.
" Upon reaching Manchester after his year-long odyssey, Ochirvaani had the chance to meet his sporting idol, Wayne Rooney. This was arranged after Ochirvaani texted his former football coach about his plan, who then posted about it on Twitter. A month later, they contacted the club and meeting Wayne Rooney came as a total surprise.
Ochirvaani, a professional footballer hailing from Bayantsogt, Mongolia, shared: "He read my letter and It was really comfortable to speak to him. He is so kind and we spoke for about 20 minutes. It was like speaking to my friend and It was a dream and I will never forget that feeling.
is the biggest inspiration in my life." When he visited Manchester, he went to Old Trafford and got the opportunity to see his sporting hero for a second time as he watched Wayne Rooney play against Liverpool in 2010. Ochirvaani, idolising Rooney since wa.