Two brothers pedalled their way to success in the London to Brighton Bike Ride for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Tony Redfern, 64, from Amport, and Paul Redfern, 66, from Norfolk were among the 10,000 riders on June 18 who took on the mammoth distance from Clapham Common to the Brighton seafront, all with the same mission to fund lifesaving research.

The BHF’s flagship fundraising event, which has now been running for almost half a century, is this year on its way to raising a staggering £2m for the charity’s groundbreaking research into new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases. The pair raised £1,000 by doing the gruelling 54-mile cycle.

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They took on the challenge because of a family history of heart conditions. Tony has had a pacemaker fitted and Paul was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2008. Their dad also suffered several heart attacks and had a pacemaker fitted when he was 91, he sadly died in 2021.

Paul said: “Taking part in this year’s British Heart Foundation London to Brighton Bike Ride was a truly incredible experience. The route was stunning although brutal at times! The crowds at the end were wonderful and it felt so nice to have so many people cheering me on along the seafront.

“The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases. I’m proud to know I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.”  

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Senior events manager at the BHF, Roisin Greenup, added: “It’s fantastic to see Tony and Paul’s passion and determination in helping us fund lifesaving research. Without the dedication of our cyclists and the commitment of fundraisers like them, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.    

“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part in our London to Brighton Bike Ride never fails to impress us. It was fantastic to see Tony and Paul join thousands of other riders to take on this challenge to help save and improve lives.”   

The London to Brighton Bike Ride 2024 ballot is now open. More information can be found at in.events.bhf.org.uk/london-to-brighton-bike-ride-2024.