Eastbourne man to cycle London to Brighton after surviving life-changing cardiac arrest
56-year-old Scott Saunders' heart stopped while he was on a run with his daughter
An Eastbourne man who survived a life-changing cardiac arrest is cycling from London to Brighton today to encourage more people to learn CPR.
56-year-old Scott Saunders' heart stopped while he was on a run with his daughter 6 years ago.
A neighbour quickly started chest compression before an ambulance arrived.
“I know how incredibly lucky I was,” Scott said.
“There was a chain of coincidences that day that you just couldn’t make up.
"The only reason any of that happened was because I was running with my daughter.
"If I’d been on my own, I’d have been running faster and I could easily have been in the nearby park, with no one around to help.
"I know I wouldn’t be here without those moments lining up.”
Thousands of people are expected to take on the 54-mile route from Clapham Common to Brighton seafront.
A shorter, 20.5 mile route is also taking place from Ardingly Showground.
While he will be completing the challenge on an e‑bike to recognise his limits, Scott says the event is about rebuilding confidence, raising awareness, and supporting others affected by heart disease.
“I want to show that life doesn’t stop after a heart event,” Scott said.
“Doing something like this helps me prove to myself that I can still be active, while raising money for research that could help families like mine in the future.”
He's raised over £1000 for the British Heart Foundation so far.