Hello!

My name is Tom Stone and on Sunday 23 August I’ll be taking part in my first-ever Triathlon. The Clayton Shorthouse Memorial Triathlon is an entry-level community-run event hosted by the Aneurin Leisure Trust’s Ebbw Vale Sports Centre. It celebrates the life of local legend Clayton Shorthouse, a keen triathlete who died suddenly aged just 52 from an undiagnosed heart condition.

Now in it’s third year, the event really chimes with me because I’m a cardiac rehab exercise instructor with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s Cardiac Rehab Team.

During my working week, I help cardiac patients recover following a heart procedure or cardiac event, and it’s great to see people get back on their feet and gain strength and confidence with every session.

But it’s also important that people living with heart conditions continue exercising after they complete their 8-week hospital-based cardiac rehab programme. So in my spare time, I also run exercise classes for the North Gwent Cardiac Rehabilitation & Aftercare Charity. This local charity was set up over 30 years ago, to provide a vital service: a weekly programme of ongoing cardiac rehab exercise classes at community venues across our region. The classes provide a safe and supportive space for people to continue exercising, and the charity subsidises the cost to keep them as affordable as possible.

Members can attend as many classes a week as they want, with no time limit. In fact some members have been coming along to classes for more than 20 years! We also offer members twice yearly health assessments, to help keep them keep on track with their heart-health goals.

The charity works closely with the Aneurin Bevan’s Cardiac Rehab service but receives no NHS funding, so it relies on fundraising and donations to keep the classes going.

And that’s why I’m taking on the Clayton Shorthouse Tri as a sponsored challenge. I’m not too worried about the final leg – the run. I think I’ll be ok on the 10km cycle. But it’s the first leg – the 400m swim that’s got me most nervous. Swimming just doesn’t come naturally to me – and to be honest, I haven’t done laps in a pool for a long time. So it’s going to be a challenge.

I am looking forward to the event and being able to support North Gwent Cardiac Rehabilitation and Aftercare Charity. I would be extremely grateful if you would sponsor me and help support a very worthy local cause.

And of course, I’ll let you know how I get on. Thank you!