‘A Road Trip to Remember’: Chris Hemsworth on battling Alzheimer’s with bikes

Chris Hemsworth isn’t exactly known for staying still. The Aussie action man grew up exploring the outback, has dangled off dams for movie stunts, and watches his kids send it off ramps on dirt bikes. But it turns out his biggest challenge isn’t physical at all – it’s emotional. And this time, the most powerful therapy he’s found involves a motorcycle, an open road, and memories worth fighting for.

During filming for his National Geographic series Limitless, Hemsworth learned he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene variant – the one linked to an eight-to-ten-times higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Most people will never know their odds. Hemsworth found out on camera. And suddenly, the toughest bloke in Hollywood was facing a future where strength means something completely different.

His new documentary, A Road Trip to Remember, picks up where Limitless left off – but this time, it’s not about stunts or endurance. It’s about his father, Craig Hemsworth, who’s already facing cognitive decline, and the fear so many families share: what happens when the memories that built us start to fade?

The answer, at least for now, comes thanks to a pair of bikes and a plan.

After speaking with neuroscientists, Hemsworth learned about reminiscence therapy – a method that encourages patients to revisit familiar places, experiences, and stories to help stimulate parts of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s. Isolation shrinks the mind, they say. Connection expands it. And what better way to reconnect than experiencing the roads that shaped you from the seat of a motorcycle?

So Hemsworth and his dad set off to ride across their old stomping grounds in Australia – chasing memories before they disappear. Armed with a pair of Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250s, the trip isn’t about speed, scenery, or bragging rights. It was about giving the past one more lap.

"For the first time," Hemsworth said, "I think the trip gave my dad some agency. Something to take part in, not just something happening to him." That feeling – of taking control, even when control seems lost – is familiar to anyone who’s ever ridden a motorcycle. You don’t fight the road. You ride with it.

The worst thing for those facing cognitive decline is isolation – something bikers instinctively understand. A lone rider is vulnerable, whereas a pack has purpose. Reminiscence therapy works the same way: revisit good times, favourite photos, and shared experiences, and you’re effectively exercising the hippocampus – the part of the brain Alzheimer’s hits hardest. In research terms: you’re building resilience. In biker terms: you’re keeping the engine ticking over.

Hemsworth met friends from 35 years ago, stopped at meaningful landmarks, and shared memories while they still had power. “It reminded me,” he said, “that what we’ve experienced together matters more than what’s being lost.” For riders, that rings true. You might forget the specs of every bike you’ve owned – but you never forget your first ride, you biggest tour, your favourite road, or the person who taught you to blend a clutch and throttle with just your hands.

Scientists are still chasing the breakthrough – the “magic pill.” But until then, Hemsworth says the proven tools are the ones we already have: stay active, learn new skills, practise mindfulness, eat well, ride often. Keep the brain curious. Keep it moving.

Because while Alzheimer’s may try to steal memories, bikes help to make new ones.

Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu from November 24. Check local listings – and maybe give your parents a call. Better yet… take them for a ride if you can.

Images: National Geographic

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