A CHRISTCHURCH man will cycle 100km for a heart charity that saved his son's life. 

Geoff Estall, 57, will take part in the Ford Ride London on May 26 to fundraise for heart charity Wessex Heartbeat.

The charity helped save his son's life when he was four months old after being born with a '50p-sized hole' in his heart. 

So far raising £750, Geoff said the cycle has also been a personal goal of his to get fit, losing 70 pounds over two years. 

He said: "It's a huge ride and I'm not getting any younger.

"I was on a get-fit regime for arthritis in the knee and I got in touch with Wessex Heartbeat about volunteering and they came back to me this September and asked if I would want to enter this ride.

"I've managed to exercise a lot, and lose a lot of weight so it's a celebration of all that."

Geoff and his family have had a long relationship with Wessex Heartbeat after the charity helped fund life-saving surgery for their son when he was born with two holes in his heart.

Now 23, his son was taken to Southampton Hospital and within two weeks was operated on. 

He said: "When he was born everything seemed ok, he was eating well but wasn't gaining weight.

"It was found out that he had two holes in his heart which they said was the size of a 50p coin. It was a whirlwind and a lot of stuff was taken out of our hands but the people at Southampton hospital were amazing."

Geoff began to train in October 2023 on a 12-week plan and said he now feels he is healthier than he has ever been. 

He also said it has improved his mental well-being and is now the 'first to want to go out for a walk'.

He said: "I'm very grateful for what people have donated because I know we're in difficult times and it's a lot of keep asking."

To donate visit Geoff's JustGiving page.