Howard Amey and fellow members of the MotorOn Cymru team completed a 900+ mile
cycle across France at the end of May, in memory of their friend Bob Gledhill.
In doing so, they’ve raised £2,519 for My Name’5 Doddie
Foundation - an amount that will be match funded by Howard’s employer,
Boeing - bringing the total to over £5,000.
The 12 day challenge began in
St Malo, Brittany, and finished in Nice, on the Mediterranean coast of the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The route saw Howard and the team
tackle 19,000 metres (62,340 feet) of elevation, going through the Massif
Central and the Alps.
MotorOn Cymru are a campaign group of family and friends
who raise funds and awareness for MND in South Wales through supporting My
Name’5 Doddie Foundation. The group was set up by Bob Gledhill, who was
diagnosed with MND in October 2020. Following Bob’s diagnosis, he and his
wife Lowri soon discovered there was a lack of support and guidance for those
living with MND in Wales, and no opportunity to take part in clinical
trials. As a result, the MotorOn Cymru team was formed. Bob sadly died in August
2024, but the MotorOn team continue to take on challenges - both big and
small - in his memory.
Reflecting on the recent ride, Howard, a good friend of
Bob’s, said: “It was inspired by Bob’s courage and fortitude
in his fight against MND.”
The team began training last year with a
ride from Cheddar to Bangor, and continued training through the winter into
early spring. But it wasn’t just physical fitness the team needed to plan
for - logistics such as transport, ferries, accommodation and food all had to be
thought of ahead of time. Thankfully, the team’s family members stepped in
as the support crew.
“Teamwork is vital with any such
challenge,” Howard said, “the cycling was hard, but we
couldn’t have completed the ride without the support crew and
everyone’s team effort.”
Throughout those tough moments, Howard
notes that it was “memories of Bob, supporter’s donations and
encouragement” that kept them all going.
Highlights from the ride
included the Alpine scenery, as well as climbing Alpe d’Huez and reaching
the summit of Col de la Bonette - the highest paved road in France at 2,715
metres.
The team celebrated the end of the ride with pizza and beer at a
restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, before beginning the journey home
in the support van the next morning.
Looking back on what he got out of the
experience, Howard said: “I got a great sense of achievement from both
completing the ride and making a contribution to the Foundation’s efforts.
But most of all, the friendships that will last the test of time and a feeling
of belonging to a bigger thing - that is the MND community.”
To anyone
thinking about fundraising for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, Howard has
simple advice: “To borrow a slogan, ‘just do it.’ The
Foundation will support you all the way and provide guidance and encouragement,
as well as help with publicity.” Indeed, the MotorOn team are already
starting to plan their next big challenge - a ride across the top of Spain in
2026. Follow them here to stay up to date, and for more information about
MotorOn Cymru, click here.
900 miles and 19,000 metres: MotorOn Cymru’s ride
across France for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation
The route
Day 1, departure from St Malo
The MotorOn Cymru team at the finish in Nice