AN athlete who bounced back from major heart surgery to continue his sporty lifestyle has raised £7,500 as a thank-you gift to the team who looked after him.

Jon Zigmond, a 64-year-old from Rosedale Abbey on the North York Moors, always used to maintain a healthy lifestyle, enjoying mountaineering and rock-climbing as well as taking part in triathlons.

But heart issues disrupted Jon’s active lifestyle in October 2012 following a stroke caused by an irregular and abnormally fast heart rate.

Determined to carry on as normal, he steadfastly entered triathlons as usual in 2013. His first one was to be a new race - Outlaw Half in Nottingham – at 70.3 miles half the full ironman distance.

But 48 hours before leaving for the race, he was taken ill, returning home from hospital four days later having had a pacemaker fitted.

However his heart valve deteriorated rapidly and he underwent aortic valve replacement at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, a pioneer in a less invasive method of replacing the valve.

And he was soon happily riding climbs on the Tour de France grand depart stage one, as well as running reasonable distances.

“Other athletes all ride carbon fibre bicycles whereas I race on an old-fashioned steel bike - but I have a carbon fibre heart valve,” he said.

Jon decided he wanted the Outlaw Half - the first race he missed in 2013 - to be his first triathlon following his surgery, and despite dreadful weather on race day he successfully completed the race, just missing the podium in his age group.

Grateful to the hospital team which saved his life and helped him his maintain he wanted to thank the hospital’s dedicated cardiology staff.

“I wanted to show, at least to myself, what is possible following aortic valve replacement.

“I would like to think what I do might be some encouragement to others and make them realise they need not be unduly restricted in what they do. And I haven't finished yet - I have entered a full ironman distance race in 2016.”