Tamworth man with mechanical heart valve targets 61-mile ride

James Boardman began training for the "massive challenge" a few weeks ago

A man who has been fitted with a mechanical heart valve is training for a 61-mile (98km) bike ride to raise funds for heart research.

James Boardman, 51, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, was born with a heart murmur and monitored for it as a child.

"There was always talk that I would have to have a valve replacement, but when it actually happened in my 30s it was quite a shock," he said.

He is to do British Hearth Foundation's (BHF) London-to-Brighton ride.

The off-road challenge starts on the Thames Cycle Track on 23 September and takes riders on a mixture of tracks, including grass and gravel, before ending in Hove.

The father-of-three is a cycling enthusiast, but due to his health had to give up karate, which he also loved.

He realised something was wrong before having the valve fitted when he could not spar for more than 30 seconds.

"After the surgery I couldn't take being knocked about at karate, but I still managed to carry on cycling," he said.

He said he wanted to do the BHF mountain bike event because of the investment the charity had put into research.

"I also lost my father to a heart attack when I was two and my mother also suffered a couple in her early 50s, so it's really personal for me," he said.

The route takes riders over a variety of surfaces, including dirt and grass

Mr Boardman, a senior health and safety advisor for Balfour Beatty Vinci's HS2 project, said the ride would be a "massive challenge" and he would be taking medical advice.

He said he had found the heart surgery almost 20 years ago "traumatic", mentally more than physically.

"I have a very supportive wife and children who love me dearly, but it was such a shock being so immobile and just feeling completely useless," he said.

He hopes to raise awareness about heart issues.

"There seems to be a lot of focus on cancer and men checking themselves, but I don't think people look at the heart in the same way," he said.

The BHF has also begun a new campaign about hidden heart conditions called Spotlight On.

James Boardman is hoping to raise awareness about heart problems