Rolf Updale knows he is a lucky man.

On July 7, 2014 Rolf turned up for a normal Monday session at CrossFit Deviant in Derby. Actually, he was nursing a minor injury so, instead of taking part in the usual class, he decided to row some intervals. A few minutes after the class started, Rolf had a cardiac arrest.

When a person is in cardiac arrest their heart stops pumping blood, which means their brain gets no oxygen. Fewer than 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. One of the most important factors in surviving is getting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) quickly, which will keep the heart pumping blood around the body until emergency help arrives.

By a stroke of immense good fortune, there were three members in the class that Monday evening who knew how to perform CPR - a physio, a nurse and a firefighter. Ali, Jennie, and Tim immediately began chest compressions and saved Rolf's life.

Rolf has made the very best of his extra years. He stopped smoking, keeps himself fit and tries to stay healthy. He also now coaches more mature athletes and inspires those around him to stay fit, too.

To celebrate this gift of staying alive, we're doing 10 CrossFit workouts in 10 consecutive days at CrossFit gyms throughout the East Midlands.

We're doing it because we want to say thank you to Rolf's lifesavers. We'll never be able to thank them enough, but continuing to make the best of our physical fitness seems a legit way to celebrate being alive!

We also want to raise awareness of the importance of everyone learning CPR. While defibrillators are really helpful, there's not always one handy when you need one. Starting immediate CPR can double or quadruple survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. There are free resources online to help you learn CPR. Search for RevivR.

And we're raising money for our dear friend and first coach, Kristen Ingraham-Morgan and her Strong Girl Squad in the hope that every girl who wants to participate in strength sessions or the Holiday Programme is able to do so, no matter what her circumstances.

In case you're wondering, 10 workouts in 10 days is a considerable challenge for a couple in their 60s. We're really grateful for your support and donations - and looking forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.

Heartfelt thanks