Ben Ridsdale went the extra mile as he travelled over 1,700 miles by bus from his home in Crewe to Berlin, Germany and back. The trip was in memory of his two childhood friends, Matt Leadbitter and Rory Bennet, who both lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Travelling over 1,700 miles by bus: “I’ve always been quite honest with my abilities, and this trip was a huge personal mission.”
The journey
The journey was a huge feat for me, as I’m visually impaired and been diagnosed with autism. I travelled alone, on Monday 28 September, from Crewe – Stoke on Trent – London – Dortmund – Berlin, in around 35 hours. On Sunday 4 October, my return trip home went via Amsterdam, with the combined bus journeys taking me nearly 64 hours.
This wasn’t my first charity bus adventure having previously supported Muscular Dystrophy UK in 2021 by travelling from Crewe to London and then from Crewe to Newcastle the following year, to raise funds and awareness in memory of Matt and Rory.
In loving memory
I met Matt and Rory at Exhall Grange school, Coventry, aged 12, and we remained friends till both their deaths. Matt and Rory both lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
They were my best mates. We all had a dark sense of humour, that’s why we got on so well. In my experience, you have two sorts of people, some like Matt and Rory, who faced their condition head on and got on with things with a positive outset. Or others who would just give up.
After witnessing my friends’ deterioration, I wanted to do something in their memory to help others living with a muscle wasting condition. I lost Rory in 1998 and Matt died in 2019. Matt got to the ripe old age of 42. However, the last six months of Matt’s life were not pretty, as he started the beginning of organ failure. I would still go and visit him and try and keep his spirits up. You could tell he knew he was going to go. It was a tough thing to witness, knowing you couldn’t do anything.
Bus Roulette
When I was at boarding school, we invented a game called bus roulette, where you would find a bus and get on it and travel right to the end, get off it, and get another bus. You’d go to the end of that journey and see where you ended up. I arrived in some stupid places. However, I did see most of the West Midlands in the early 90s through that game.
My vision
I was born with cataracts that were removed when I was six months old. When I was 32, the retina went in my right eye. That led to several problems, resulting in the eye being removed in 2015. My left eye tried to pick up the pace ever since and the retina in this eye detached four years ago.
My eye condition restricts me from flying, due to the pressure causing a high risk of retinal detachment, so my preferred method of travel is bus.
My eyesight is terrible, but it could be worse. I can’t do anything visual for very long, as I get tired very easily. I’m a visually impaired person living in a fully sighted world. I’ve always been quite honest with my abilities, and this trip was a huge personal mission.
Final destination
I’m passionate about history and fell in love with Berlin after first visiting the city with my daughter and I wanted to return. I completed this trip using Flix Bus and local buses to cover the distance.
I had such a great time in Berlin – it was a real blast. I’m glad I completed my bus challenge for Muscular Dystrophy UK in memory of Matt and Rory. I think it’s important to raise awareness of muscle wasting conditions like the one they lived with.
I’m already thinking about another trip in 2028 – so watch this space!
Support the cause
By donating, you’ll help fund research and provide support for people living with a muscle wasting condition.
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