AN EAST Lancashire man is cycling to Greece to raise funds for a charity close to his heart.

In April 2012, 54-year-old John Wilson suffered a heart attack while climbing Scafell Pike, and he was airlifted by the RAF to hospital in Carlisle.

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While recovering from the heart attack, Mr Wilson, who lives in Westwood Road, Burnley relied on the support of the British Heart Foundation for help and advice.

Last year, after he had returned to health, Mr Wilson completed a number of challenges including the 170-mile coast-to-coast cycle challenge, The Ian Hesketh Memorial Duathlon and Pennine 10k, all in aid of the Pendleside Hospice.

And now he feels ready for an even bigger challenge, Mr Wilson plans to cycle from Burnley to the Greek island of Corfu, and raise money as a thank you to the British Heart Foundation.

In June he will leave from the charity’s main shop in Burnley to Dover, from where he will travel to the southern Italian port of Brindisi.

Mr Wilson will also be stopping off in France to visit his wife Shirley’s great uncle’s grave outside of Lille, where he will lay a wreath in his memory.

He was an Accrington Pal, who died of his wounds in a German Field Hospital.

Mr Wilson will then catch a ferry to Corfu, and cycle over the mountains into Arillas.

The whole journey is expected to take 34 days to complete.

Mr Wilson is a full-time student studying for a BA Hones in Health and Applied Social Studies at Accrington and Rossendale College, and students on the college’s media course, he will be filming a “fly on the wall”-style documentary of his challenge for entry into the Pendle Film Festival.

Mr Wilson has been fitted with a Go Pro camera, and the film will cover both his training and the actual journey itself.

He is currently training hard in the gym, and will step up his outdoor cycling once the weather improves.

Mr Wilson said: “After a long period of severe depression as a result of the attack and having to leave my job, I attended the Healthy Lifestyles ‘gym on prescription’ course at St Peter’s Centre.

“The staff were fantastic and gave me back my confidence to get back into my trainers.

“The British Heart Foundation gave me the support and advice and in response to that, now that I’m fully recovered I’ve decided to go and do this.”

“My wife and I got engaged in Corfu, we’ve gone back a number of times, and I’ve always wanted to do this.”