No one rides alone
A testament to the fortitude of the human spirit
In 2019, Clive Phillips received a diagnosis of multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), a rare, chronic autoimmune disorder causing progressive asymmetrical muscle weakness. It affects 1-2 in every 100,000 cases in North America and Europe1 and is a condition for which there is no cure. Treatment of intravenous immunoglobin (IVIg) can lead to improved motor function, with patients requiring regular infusions to maintain improvement.
As an ex-staff officer of His Majesty’s Forces, physical fitness is in Clive’s DNA. A keen cyclist, Clive is an avid fan of the Tour de France, the annual multi-staged cycling race, and remembers being transfixed by this prestigious race as a teenager. He was captivated, in particular, by the story of the first ever British team to ride the Tour de France in 1955. After an arduous three weeks of racing, just two of the original ten men crossed the finish line.
Always keen to test his resolve, Clive decided to set himself the challenge of retracing the route the British team followed back in 1955, cycling 3200km through France, across 22 stages. Clive’s hopes were to raise awareness of MMN and related conditions, and on a personal level, explore just what was possible for him to achieve while navigating life with a rare condition.
What better year to do it in than 2025 —70 years since the first British team took on the Tour, and the year Clive turned 50. Roping in four of his fellow veterans, and more importantly, good friends, to accompany him, alongside his support crew, the challenge took Clive two years to plan. ‘No one rides alone’ is the beautifully curated film by Silvereye films and Making the Most of Now, following the team’s demanding journey over three weeks to try to accomplish what just two members of the original 1955 British team did, with the challenges of a rare disease thrown in for good measure.
Clive’s challenge is an absolute testament to the resilience and fortitude of the human spirit. Strength in the face of adversity. The film skilfully depicts the joy and positive force of friendship, with Clive acknowledging the immeasurable part his friends played in helping him tackle the highs and lows. John Donne said, “No man is an island”, and never is this more fitting than in Clive’s challenge. The team explore a vulnerability, none of them, as army men, are particularly used to expressing. Unaccustomed to relying on others, Clive acknowledges that human beings possess an inherent need to help, which enables him to reframe his reliance on other people as giving someone the “gift of helping”.
A medical diagnosis can alter a person’s whole life, not just their physical capabilities, but their identity, and Clive addresses this significant shift in his own life. While MMN has reshaped his identity and future plans, he has learnt to appreciate the things he wouldn’t have seen, done or achieved were it not for MMN. “It has given me a purpose that had been lacking for a while, possibly since leaving the army.”
No one rides alone is a beautiful film about resilience, reframing the impact of life’s curve balls and seeing the wonder in the everyday. It shows that anything is possible with the right mindset, conviction and definitely when surrounded by “your tribe”.
Clive hopes the film will raise awareness of MMN and the importance of plasma donation, and inspire others to live well after a diagnosis.
For more information please visit, makingthemostofnow.co.nz/no-one-rides-alone, or connect with Clive, linkedin.com/in/clivephillips6
References
[1] https://www.gbs-cidp.org/multifocal-motor-neuropathy/
