Melton man takes on 4,000-mile United States cycle challenge after heart surgery
Chris Pendleton, who grew up in Melton, set out last month from the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
The 33-year-old’s aim is to finish his 4,000-mile coast-to-coast challenge in Boston in September, when he hopes to have raised £4,000 for the British Heart Foundation.
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Hide AdHis effort is all the more amazing when you realised Chris was born with pulmonary stenosis, which rstricts blood flow to certain areas of the body.
His sister Helen said: “He was only the sixth infant in the world to have this pioneering surgery and my parents were told he would never be able to do much, so we are very proud of him.”
He surprised family and friends by announcing on Facebook that he was doing the fundraiser.
Before setting out he wrote on his blog: “The route I have plotted takes me through around 20 states until I reach Boston, Massachusetts, on the East Coast, some 10 weeks and seven pairs of padded cycling shorts later.”
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Hide AdChris , whose parents Alan and Barbara both still live in Melton, had heart surgery at two and again aged four.
He was treated at Groby Road Hospital in Leicester initially and then for many years at Glenfield. He is dismayed that it is threatened with closure.
Go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-pendleton4000 to sponsor Chris, who is currently in Wyoming.