七月的豔陽天，北市河濱腳踏車步道出現了一群身穿白綠相間排汗衣、黑色專業車褲，頭頂安全帽的少年，引人目光的是，他們腳下所踩的，不是兩輪有鏈條的普通單車，而是像特技表演般的獨輪車。

他這群來自花蓮「信望愛少年學園」的孩子，半年前還是獨輪車的初學者，現在就要從台北大稻埕碼頭出發，開始一連二十天的一千公里環台行程。

信望愛學園所安置的少年，多半是曾經犯過錯、逃家、或者遭受家暴的孩子，他們家庭失能，從小缺乏親情照顧，以致往往誤入了歧途而不自知。

為了讓信望愛少年學園的孩子們找回自信和勇氣，基督教更生團契總幹事黃明鎮牧師與板橋地方法院少年觀護人盧蘇偉，共同發起了「獨輪車環台」活動。事實上，日本早在好幾年前就已藉由獨輪車運動來輔導中輟生。

今年初，他們找到教練、展開訓練，從一開始戰戰兢兢、邊騎邊摔的五公里、十公里，到五十公里的流暢平穩的連續騎乘，為一千里環台長征做好準備。

穿越河濱公園腳踏車道。

出發前整裝待發。

In the blazing July heat, a group of young men clad in green and white cycling shirts, black cycling pants, and helmets pedaled their way onto the cycling paths along Taipei's riversides. What really caught the eye, though, was what was underneath them--rather than the standard two wheels and chain of a bicycle, these young men were atop unicycles.

The youths were members of Hualien's Faith and Love Youth Academy, and having started as total unicycling beginners just six months prior, they now found themselves setting out from Taipei's Tataocheng Pier on a 20-day, 1000-kilometer journey around Taiwan. Most of the young men in the care of the Faith and Love Academy are runaways, juvenile offenders, or victims of domestic abuse. Lacking the care and protection of a loving family, they had ended up drifting down undesirable paths in life.

To help these young people rediscover their self-confidence and courage, Prison Fellowship Taiwan chair Reverend Huang Ming-chen and Panchiao District Court youth detention officer Lu Su-wei organized the Unicycling Around Taiwan event. This kind of event was first done in Japan several years ago to help provide guidance to high-school dropouts.

Early this year, the two sought out a coach and started the training. From the very start it was a struggle, with the boys first trying five kilometers, falling repeatedly along the way. This gradually grew to ten kilometers, and then further, until they were riding 50 kilometers without trouble. They were finally prepared for their long trek around Taiwan.

每個孩子都有無法抹滅的傷痕。

你追不到我～

行經太魯閣

環台活動第六天，車隊抵達了花蓮太魯閣國家公園，很多孩子第一次看見壯麗的山勢，直說太美了。清晨四點，太陽還沒露臉，大家就起床梳洗整隊，吃完早餐，五點準時出發。從天祥一路騎到九曲洞、長春祠，孩子們面對大自然，心情顯得開朗許多。陽光灑在千仞峭壁上，伴隨著獨輪車隊，是太魯閣最美的風景。

陽光出來了，大夥維持平衡慢慢下滑。


中橫公路太魯閣段的鬼斧神工，每個孩子都讚嘆不已。


陽光灑下的地方，就有溫暖。

Traveling Taroko

On the sixth day of their journey, the team reached Taroko National Park. For many of them it was the first time they'd seen such majestic mountain scenery, and all they could do was remark on how beautiful it was. At 4 a.m., before the sun had shown its face, they were out of bed and washing up, finishing breakfast and ready to move out by 5 a.m. Setting out from Tienhsiang, they headed through the Tunnel of Nine Turns and past Eternal Spring Shrine. Throughout the journey the boys were clearly uplifted by the natural beauty around them. The sunlight, bathing the long cliffs that form the sides of the gorge and accompanying the unicyclists on their journey, creates the most beautiful sight in all of Taroko.

山景與車隊是最美的風景

風雨生信心

凱米颱風襲台的那幾天，車隊剛好行經風雨最大的墾丁。觀護人盧蘇偉說：「為了尊重孩子意願，當天的行程我們以自願方式參加。令人感動的是，除了幾位年紀尚小的體驗組隊員外，幾乎每個人都不願退縮！」他們選擇面對十七級的強風，沿路上強勁的雨勢刺痛著他們的臉頰，強烈的側風，幾乎要把他們連人帶車吹翻。但是一路上，沒有一個人喊累！他們就這樣默默地騎到當天的休息點。這些孩子回想起那天，只說：「看著大家努力拼完這段路程，心裡想著，只要完成這個挑戰，以後的路程也就沒什麼好怕的了。」

如同每天凌晨五點的早禱，領隊黃牧師說：「希望主耶穌能幫助我們，讓我們在艱苦的獨輪車環台行程裡，除了鍛鍊我們的體力，也要鍛鍊我們的心，進而讓社會大眾對我們刮目相看...」看著那些犯過錯的孩子，敞開心胸走出戶外，面對這艱難的挑戰，我們應該給予更多的鼓勵與關懷，讓他們未來的人生旅程不孤單。

經過每天從清晨到傍晚，時速十二公里、總共二十天的磨練，旁人明顯感受到孩子們的自信心提高、情緒控制力增強、自律、人際關係變得更好。以往動不動就以暴力解決問題的現象，更是改善許多。

看我多麼悠閒地攻上這個陡坡。

石陽錦是獨輪車隊的隊長，現在是信望愛少年學園的實習老師。

觀護人盧蘇偉將簽有全體隊員名字的衣服贈與贊助五十台獨輪車的黃建仁先生。

Through the storm

As Typhoon Kaemi lashed Taiwan, the unicyclists were just passing through the site of its heaviest rains, Kenting. We made participation in that day's ride voluntary in order to respect the boys' wishes, says Lu Su-wei. But astonishingly, aside from a few of the younger ones, virtually no-one backed out! Despite facing Force 17 winds, the youngsters bravely sallied forth. Along the way the rain stung their faces, and with the severe crosswinds it seemed like both they and their unicycles were set to go flying, but not a single person screamed out in pain or fatigue as they rode silently toward the day's rest stop. Reflecting on that day, the boys say that seeing everyone working so hard to complete that leg, all they could think was that if they could overcome this challenge, nothing else could possibly put them off.

參觀獨輪車製作過程。

笑容可掬的盧觀護人，是孩子們最好的朋友與老師。

時速12公里的蛻變

如同每天凌晨五點的早禱，領隊黃牧師說：「希望主耶穌能幫助我們，讓我們在艱苦的獨輪車環台行程裡，除了鍛鍊我們的體力 ，也要鍛鍊我們的心，進而讓社會大眾對我們刮目相看...」

活動結束後，在台北觀護所的感恩茶會上，當大家看著自己初學獨輪車時的紀錄片，每個孩子們都哭了。他們無法相信片子裡那些跌跌撞撞、輕言放棄的人就是自己，而今他們竟然都走完了一千公里的環台旅程哪！這些曾經犯過錯的孩子，勇敢面對艱難的挑戰，敞開心胸走出戶外，我們應該給予更多的鼓勵與關懷，讓他們未來的人生旅程不孤單。

行經日月潭，暨南大學的楊家原同學也熱情地一同參加行程。


南投縣的獨輪車運動十分盛行，小學生為了遠道而來的貴賓，特地表演一段絕活。

Metamorphosis at 12 kph

After 20 days of disciplined riding, traveling 12 kilometers an hour every day from dawn till dusk, the biggest changes these young men found were improved self-confidence, self-control, and interpersonal skills. Compared with the past, when they would use violence as the solution to any problems, the change was immense.

As team leader Rev. Huang said in the team's 5 a.m. prayers each day, May the Lord help us and guide us, so that any difficulties we may face along our ride will help us not only train our bodies, but also our souls, giving society cause to respect and admire us more.

At the celebration at Taipei Juvenile Detention House, a short film showing the boys' initial attempts at learning to unicycle was shown, at which they all broke down into tears. They couldn't believe that these stumbling boys, so ready to give up, were really themselves, and that they had now completed a 1000-kilometer trip around Taiwan! After these former delinquents so bravely took on such a difficult challenge and opened themselves up to the world outside, they deserve more of our encouragement and concern, so that they will no longer feel alone on their travels down the path life has ahead of them.

將來我也想要成為攝影師。

熱情的民眾夾道歡迎車隊，還爭相拍紀念照呢～

圖文原刊載於台灣光華雜誌九月號/tr. by Geof Aberhart