Cyclists take on huge challenge to remember dad, husband, brother and uncle

Cycling in ‘Team Tony’ was Tony’s wife, Debby, 57, daughter, Jordan, 26, and son Ryan, 29. The wider peloton was a collective of Keal family members including four of Tony’s siblings.

For six members of the team, the ride from London to Brighton was the last leg of a much longer journey. Tony’s son, Ryan, along with his cousins, cycled from John O’Groats to Brighton beach, cycling 900 miles over the course of nine days. Fittingly, they crossing the finish line on Father’s Day. The team of 46 raised £21,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

‘Team Tony’ raised a whopping £21,000 for BHF’s research into heart and circulatory conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke and vascular dementia. The money raised will be split between the BHF and the Royal Papworth Hospital, where Tony passed away.

The date also marked the 35 year wedding anniversary of Tony and Debbie’s marriage.

After crossing the finish line, Ryan said: “Taking part in the London to Brighton Bike Ride for the British Heart Foundation was a really fantastic experience. The atmosphere at the finish line was absolutely brilliant and I enjoyed every moment of the ride – even the hills!

“A highlight of the ride was to be doing it for my Dad on Father’s Day and having the whole family together to raise money in his memory and celebrate his life.”

It was truly wonderful to have so many supporters there and the camaraderie between the riders was pretty inspiring. It feels even better knowing that the money I’ve raised will help the BHF fund vital research into preventing, diagnosing and treating heart and circulatory diseases and I’m just proud to join the charity in their mission to beat heartbreak forever.”

Roshan Teeluck, Head of Events at the BHF, said: “It’s great to see the determination of every member of ‘Team Tony’ in completing this year’s London to Brighton Bike Ride. The success of this event is testament to the fact that cycling is such an inclusive sport that everyone can enjoy and we’re grateful to all our BHF Champions for getting on their bikes and fundraising for our life saving research.

“Without the dedication and commitment of BHF Champions who have helped us raise a phenomenal amount of money this year, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that will help more than seven million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.

This year’s London to Brighton Bike Ride marked 44 years of the BHF’s flagship cycling event. Since its inception, elite and novice riders alike have pedalled over 41 million miles between them and raised over £70 million to help the charity and beat heartbreak forever.