Watch: “Time Matters” explores returning to cycling with a brain injury

Ultra-cyclist Richard Curtis was the victim of a car accident in 2018 which left him with a permanent brain injury. The short film Time Matter, by Kinesis UK, explores what happens when someone is severed form such a large part of their identity, and Curtis’ struggle to take back control of his day-to-day life.

A life changing moment

Three years ago, Curtis, at the peak of his fitness, had just competed for Great Britain at the Gran Fondo World Championships when a car accident changed his life. The resulting brain injury that came with a number of symptoms that prevented him from doing small tasks, such as going for a short walk, much less getting on his bike and riding outside.

One of the topics the film touches on is how the injury severed Curtis’ connection to the cycling world, and the resulting isolation he felt. He was no longer tied to his cycling club, and even his conversations with his close friend Miles Baker-Clarke strategically avoided the topics of cycling and going on adventures.

Frustrated that he had lost this aspect of himself, Curtis began using his bike on the trainer fighting through agonizing headaches and insomnia. The ultra-cyclist started with just six minute rides, but gradually began to work up the amount of time he spent on the bike. Eventually, an ebike gave him the ability to bring some of those shorter rides back outside and on the road.

The film is somber and doesn’t unrealistically paint Curtis’ story as an inspirational return to glory. Instead, it focuses on his small wins, things that many would not think twice about, such as putting on his club kit and going for a ride outside with friends. Now diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Curtis says: “If I can wake up and I can go for a ride in that day, I will. And that’s all I’ve got.”