A former Ashtead schoolboy who nearly died of a heart attack will cycle to Paris to raise money for the Hughes Syndrome Foundation

A FORMER Ashtead schoolboy who nearly died of a heart attack will cycle to Paris for the charity which helped save his life.

Jon Stainer, 31, was a keen sportsman before a massive heart attack in 2008 which left him fighting for his life.

PEDAL POWER: Jon Stainer (right) and Richard Butterfield on a practice ride

He was rushed to St Thomas's Hospital in London where he was diagnosed with Hughes Syndrome, an auto-immune disorder sometimes called "sticky blood" because it makes clots inside blood vessels more likely.

Now Mr Stainer will cycle to Paris with school friend Richard Butterfield and brother-in-law Graham Lancefield, covering 500km in 4 days, to raise money for the Hughes Syndrome Foundation.

He said: "The charity is based at the hospital I was blue-lighted to and they did a fantastic job with me.

"I thought I would try and give something back because the disease is not very well-known but a lot of people suffer with it."

Mr Stainer and his teammates have already raised almost £17,500 and hope to hit the £20,000 mark before they set off on May 11.

He added: "I wanted to do a challenge because I have always loved being involved in sport, especially rugby and cricket, but because of the illness I have been unable to continue playing.

"I'm also hoping we can raise some essential funds for a small but very important charity."

The team have been doing regular rides of 100 miles or more in preparation and Mr Stainer is now itching to start.

He said: "The training has been tough, especially balancing it with work and family commitments, so I think hitting the road will actually be easier.

"It's going to be nice getting to the end of what has been a hard training and fundraising effort."

And the champagne will be waiting for him at the other end as his wife, parents and two children are flying out to celebrate with the team.

He added: "I'm sure we'll polish off a bottle of wine or two on the Saturday night and then we're off to Disneyland Paris with the kids."

Mr Stainer, now of Epsom, is a former pupil at City of London Freemen's School and is a former captain of the old boys' rugby team.

For more information or to donate visit www.justgiving.com/Jon-Stainer-Lon dontoParis