He's become known as the "last man standing" of the Westpac Chopper Bike Ride - but if you ask him, he'll tell you he's not even a "real cyclist".
Chopper Bike Rider Co-organiser Phil Taylor will be the only person to have taken part in every single edition of the 230km annual ride from Queenstown to Invercargill when he dons his Lycra for the 15th time on Friday 8 May. The only time he gets on a bike is to train for the ride, which is a fundraiser for the Westpac Chopper Appeal.
Phil, who is Westpac NZ's Lower South Island Regional Manager for Consumer Banking, saddles up every year because he knows how far the funding goes to save lives in Otago and Southland.
"Every one of the 100 or so riders knows of someone who has needed the lifesaving support of the chopper at some stage. This year we're aiming to raise $150,000 for the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust, who flew nearly 2,300 missions in 2025," he says.
"The amazing support of the locals and the camaraderie among the riders is what's kept me coming back every year for 15 years. Looking back to when we started out, the event has grown beyond our wildest imaginations.
"We know some people will be doing it tough at the moment, with the cost of living on the rise, so we're hugely appreciative of every dollar that's donated to Chopper Appeal."
Along for the ride for the first time will be downhill mountain bike champion Brook Macdonald, who knows firsthand the value of rescue choppers, having suffered a severe crash while racing in Canada in 2019.
A six-hour operation and the insertion of two rods and eight screws in his back followed, then a return to New Zealand and a four-week stint in a specialist spinal unit. Remarkably, he was back racing competitively just over a year after the accident.
"It's been years since my crash, but the memory never fades. I still remember the sound of the helicopter blades echoing through the trees at Mont-Sainte-Anne. These guys make the difference between good and bad outcomes," Brook says.
Track and field Olympian Sarah Cowley-Ross will also ride for the first time, and award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Paddy Gower, will be back for the third year, alongside other keen riders for the cause.
The 12-hour ride will stop in at Lumsden School, Balfour School, Gore Main School and Mataura School on the way to Invercargill.
Between now and then, for a donation people can get an insider's look at the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter operation at their Open Day on Sunday 26 April.
Donations for the Chopper Bike Ride can be made now by visiting Chopper Bike Ride 2026 - Givealittle.
