What is the challenge

I am riding 200 miles off-road and intend to complete it in less than 24 hours. This challenge is called the South Downs double and is known as one of the toughest off-road rides, with a total vertical ascent of 20,000 ft. Only 30% of riders complete it in the time given. The first 100 miles (Winchester to Eastbourne on the South Downs Way) will be with other British Heart Foundation riders, it will be light and there we will be marshals offering water, directions and medical support. When I arrive in Eastbourne and cross the finishing line, I will turn around and ride back the other way, unsupported, alone and the last 4 hours (at least) will be in the dark. By the time I arrive back in Winchester, I will have completed over 200 miles and undoubtedly be tired, broken and ready for a sleep.

Why?

In 2007 my wife gave birth to twins Jamie and Georgina. Jamie wasn’t feeding very well and was struggling to put on weight. After a series of investigations at Southampton General Hospital, he was diagnosed with a rare heart defect known as an  Aortopulmonary (AP) Window.

AP Window is a rare heart defect where there is a hole between the major blood vessel feeding the heart (the aorta) and the one going to the lungs (the pulmonary artery). The treatment was open heart surgery and the plan was to patch and glue the holes.

Jamie was just three months old with a heart no larger than a walnut when he had open heart surgery at Southampton General Hospital. He is now 5 years old and a year ago we were told that Jamie had made an impressive recovery and we no longer needed to complete our usual periodic checks.

I have taken part in a number of events for the BHF in previous years and this year I am taking on the 100-mile Dorset Bike Ride, the 75-mile London to Brighton Off Road Bike Ride, A 70-mile Jurassic coast challenge and the ‘double’ 100-mile South Downs Way Off-Road Bike Ride.

I am primarily completing this challenge to raise awareness for others like Jamie, some money for the research into a new tool that detects early heart issues in newborns, and I was also keen to set myself a tough physical and mental challenge.

Thankfully I have the full support of my family as the only way to train for such an event is to put the time in on the bike. My father in law, John Gatrell, President of Southampton Shipping Golf Society, is organising a number of fund raising events in 2013 for the Paediatric Heart Unit at Southampton General to whom we are eternally grateful.

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