An Abingdon man was joined by two of his children as he cycled from London to Brighton on Father's Day, just eight months after suffering a heart attack.
Retired teacher Malcolm Banfield, 63, was one of more than 12,000 riders who took on the 54-mile journey from Clapham Common to the Brighton seafront on June 16 in support of the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
The event, which has been running for almost half a century, managed to raise more than £1 million for the BHF this year.
Mr Banfield took part in the event because just eight months ago, he suffered a shock heart attack while on holiday in France.
Despite feeling unwell he was not aware of what was happening, and, having never had any heart problems before, a heart attack was not a consideration.
On returning to the UK, he went to A&E and was told he required heart bypass surgery, leading to a two-week hospital stay.
Now, he says he feels in the best shape of his life, and credits it to the cardiac rehab that encouraged him to get back to exercising soon after his operation.
He said: "Taking part in this year’s British Heart Foundation London to Brighton Bike Ride was a truly incredible experience.
"The crowds at the end were wonderful and it felt so nice to have so many people cheering me on along the seafront.
"The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.
"I’m proud to know I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough."
Senior events manager at the BHF, Roisin Atkinson, added: "It’s fantastic to see Malcolm’s passion and determination in helping us fund lifesaving research.
"Without the dedication of our cyclists and the commitment of fundraisers like Malcolm, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.
"The stories of why our amazing supporters take part in our London to Brighton Bike Ride never fails to impress us.
"It’s truly heart warming to see Malcolm join thousands of other riders to take on this challenge to help save and improve lives."
Other riders who took part this year included GB Olympic gymnast Ellie Downie, who cycled in memory of her brother Josh, who died from a sudden cardiac arrest aged 24, and scientist Sir Patrick Vallance, who led a team called ‘Biking for Breakthroughs’.
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