900 miles and 19,000 metres: MotorOn Cymru’s ride across France for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation

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."

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.