A heart attack survivor who helped raise over half a million pounds for a national charity last year by cycling from the capital to the south coast has set his sights on climbing the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
Diggi Saxena, from Walthamstow, took part in the British Heart Foundation’s London to Brighton Off Road bike ride on 21 September 2024, alongside over 2,000 other participants, and helped to raise £585,000 for the charity.
Saxena, 45, suffered a heart attack in May 2023, and wanted to use the challenge as a way to raise awareness of the amazing work that the British Heart Foundation (BHF) does.
He said: “Words can’t describe the feeling when I crossed the finish line – it was very, very special.
“It wasn’t just the personal satisfaction of completing the challenge, it was also showing my family I’m back to my old self – fit and healthy.”
The ride took Diggi over 13 hours to complete, and he described it as being more mentally challenging than it was physical.
Diggi was welcomed over the finish line by his proud wife, Karen, and daughter, Karinaa – who have also felt the impact of his health scare.
In a joint statement, Karen and Karinaa said: “Last year was horrible and one of the scariest times of our lives.
“We couldn’t be prouder to see him finish the bike ride after everything he went through, it was such a big achievement and we love him so much for doing it.”
The BHF helped assist Diggi’s recovery from his heart attack by creating a personalised cardiac rehabilitation plan, and it was this support that made him want to raise funds and awareness for their cause.
The charity funds life saving research into heart and circulatory diseases, alongside providing support to heart attack survivors and their families.
In London, the BHF has invested over £127 million into research, alongside funding 63 public access defibrillators and 806 CPR kits for schools across the capital.
To prepare for the challenge Diggi spent countless hours in the gym on an exercise bike, however didn’t actually buy his own bike until a week before the event.
Saxena said: “I simulated all the different terrains and challenges on the bike in the gym, I didn’t think it would be much different – I was wrong.”
Now that 2025 is in full swing, Diggi has set his sights on an even bigger challenge of climbing the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
Whernside is the tallest standing at 736 meters, followed by Ingleborough at 723 meters and Pen-y-Ghent at 694 meters.
Diggi said: “I’ve now got the taste for a challenge and I want to keep pushing myself to raise even more money for the British Heart Foundation.
“The plan is to complete the Three Peaks in Yorkshire this summer, and then tackle Kilimanjaro next year.”
The BHF are looking to recruit participants for their annual off-road bike ride which starts in Walton-on-Thames and challenges participants to 61 miles of cross-country terrains, before finishing on Brighton seafront.
British Heart Foundation senior event manager Kate Sparks said: “Last year’s London to Brighton Off-Road Bike Ride was hugely successful for both us as a charity and for our wonderful riders.
“We’ve raised nearly £600,000 for our lifesaving research through our riders’ determination, many of them having a close connection to our cause and a story behind why they took on our challenge.
“It can be both heart-warming and heart-wrenching to hear just how much the BHF means to our event participants – we are so grateful to every single one of them.
“The atmosphere on the day was brilliant. There was so much excitement, joy and pride both along the route and as cyclists crossed the finish line.
“We’re already looking forward to this year’s event to see more adventurous cyclists take on the challenge.”
Registrations are open for this year’s ride on Saturday 20 September. To sign up visit: www.bhf.org.uk/l2bor25
Feature Image Credit: British Heart Foundation.
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