New Yorker bikes to UN headquarters for late Sheikh Zayed

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Don Victor Mooney after finishing his trip to UN headquarters.
Don Victor Mooney after finishing his trip to UN headquarters.

Dubai - Mooney began his journey, called The Zayed Mile, from his home in Queens at 1am on June 30 (NY time).

By Angel Tesorero

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Published: Mon 9 Jul 2018, 10:00 PM

Last updated: Tue 10 Jul 2018, 12:54 AM

Inspired by the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a New Yorker has recently accomplished a four-day, 402km bike ride across New York City as a tribute to the UAE's founding father and in commemoration of the Year of Zayed.
It was no mean feat for the 52-year-old Don Victor Mooney, who did not just pedal his way through the five boroughs of NYC (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island) as he also towed a bike trailer filled with trees, a 5X7ft artificial grass rolled up, two soccer goals and a soccer ball weighing nearly 135kg in total.
Speaking to Khaleej Times over the phone from New York on Monday, Mooney said multiple flat tires, damaged spokes, sleep deprivation and summer heat did not prevent him from completing his mission. "Good samaritans helped me along the way and NY law enforcement unit provided a safety escort when needed," he said.
Mooney began his journey, called The Zayed Mile, from his home in Queens at 1am on June 30 (NY time). A devout Catholic, he stopped first at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan for prayer and then traversed the streets of New York before concluding his four-day bike journey on July 3 at the UN headquarters, where he set up his pop-up football pitch and invited tourists, UN employees, diplomats and residents to sign his banner showcasing the UAE founding father's environmental legacy.
"I wanted people to score goals for humanity and the environment," Mooney said. "I talked to people who passed by and I told them about what Sheikh Zayed had done to promote environmental protection.
"I want to pay tribute to Sheikh Zayed, who I call as 'Champion of Earth', for his wildlife conservation, agriculture, forestation, and preserving biodiversity efforts both inside the UAE and beyond," Mooney underlined.
Mooney received citations from the presidents of the Borough of Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn. He said the  awards, bicycle and trailer will be presented to the Year of Zayed organisers.
Now, Mooney has his eyes set to complete the final leg of his tribute to Sheikh Zayed: A bike ride from Dubai to Abu Dhabi with tree planting programme  at the Capital.
"This will be like a homecoming of sorts for me. I know a lot of things have changed since I came there. And I want to see, the enduring legacy left by the late Sheikh Zayed," he said.

Love for UAE's founding father

Don Victor Mooney's affinity to Sheikh Zayed and the UAE began almost two decades ago. "Back in 2002, during the reign of Sheikh Zayed, I wrote to the UAE Mission to the United Nations for a humanitarian project, which involved collecting sand and soil from UN member states. After this, I began researching on Sheikh Zayed and found him to be an amazing person."
"I was inspired by his type of leadership and dedication for the environment. The peace, stability, innovation and coexistence are leading factors that continues to make the UAE a model for humanity," he added.
Mooney, who is dual citizen of the USA and Equatorial Guinea, has been to the UAE twice. First in June 2006, when he did an eight-day bike run across the seven emirates. It was the peak of summer - he only biked at night - and he learned a lot about the UAE's culture.
"I ended my bike ride at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and I was wearing a hard hat back then because it was still under construction," he said.
Then he was back in October 2006 to get support for his trans-Atlantic boat ride. Mooney named his first rowboat in honour of Sheikh Zayed and designed his second and third boats in UAE colours and emblazoned 'Spirit of Zayed' and 'Never Give Up' respectively.
Mooney said his recent NYC bike ride is a continuation of his mission to promote Sheikh Zayed's teachings.
angel@khaleejtimes.com  


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