A RECOVERING heart attack patient is urging others to join her on a charity bike ride to raise funds for pioneering heart failure research.

Anne Dixon, from Poppleton, is a passionate supporter of the annual Heart of York Bike Ride which is on Sunday, September 7 this year,and helps people suffering from coronary heart disease.

Anne who has retired from working at the Boston Spa Library survived a heart attack in 2011, aged 58, and was left with heart failure, and has been building her fitness back up every since.

She said: "It is so important to me to continue to live a full and active life and one of my goals this year is to take part in this event.

"I’ve been training and have received fantastic support from York St John University to help me get cycling fit and reach my goal. The bike ride is raising money for the Mending Broken Hearts Appeal to fund pioneering heart failure research, another big motivation for me."

Anne was fitted with a pace-maker after ten days in hospital, and started the BHF rehab programmes monitoring diet and fitness.

She said: “I can do most things but it’s difficult to balance pushing myself and not pushing myself too hard. I started cycling, gradually progressing to 18 miles, but I took three days to recover. I was exhausted."

She became involved in York St John University’s Prepare to Ride programme, running group rides, giving her the confidence to do the Heart of York ride.

The event which is for cyclists aged 14 and up offers the choice of a 22 or 40-mile on road circular route.

Sharon Oakley, BHF fundraising manager for York, said: “This year we hope to welcome between 300 to 500 cyclists. The money raised will fund heart failure research. Living with severe heart failure can be terrifying and can cause prolonged suffering. Simple tasks, such as having a shower, doing the shopping or playing with the children, become a real struggle. Heart failure occurs when so much heart muscle is damaged by a heart attack that the heart can’t pump blood around the body as well as it should.

Knowing there could be a cure in the future gives everyone hope. We know a lot of people have this event in their diary; advanced registration closes this Friday so we’re urging everyone to register this week to save their place and receive an early booking discount.”

The Heart of York Bike Ride is organised by the BHF York Fundraising Committee with York St John University, City of York Council, and Just 30, with Cycle Street (York) providing maintenance support on the day.

Advanced registration closes today. Individual cyclists and teams of five can register in advance to save their place and receive an early booking discount at www.bhf.org.uk/heartofyork