A MAN who survived a heart attack has completed a charity walk along the River Thames in double quick time.

Neil Ransley, who lives in Ruislip, completed the Thames Path Challenge with Shriti Raichura, who runs a cardiac rehabilitation exercise class at Highgrove Swimming Pool in Hume Way, Eastcote, for people such as Mr Ransley who have suffered heart problems.

The pair completed the challenge – a 100km walk starting at Putney Bridge, following the Thames Path National Trail, and finishing at Henley-on-Thames on Saturday, September 29.

“We completed it in 22 hours, which was within the challenge time, so that was really good. We were very lucky with the weather because it was just inside that little spot of good weather we had over that weekend,” he said.

After a heart attack in August 2010, Mr Ransley, 58, joined Miss Raichura’s exercise class and was determined to conquer the walk.

“If I can do this, and I’ve had a heart attack, I feel like anyone can," Mr Ransley said.

“It was just a brilliant day. About 1,500 people did it in the end. We set off from Putney Bridge at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning and got in to Henley-on-Thames at 8am the next day.

“Everyone else who was doing the walk was probably younger than us, and actually it was all the people who were in their thirties who suffered the most because they hadn’t done enough training and probably thought a walk wouldn’t be that hard.”

The charity walkers had been training twice a week since June by walking from Rickmansworth and ending up along the Grand Union Canal in Uxbridge.

Their fitness levels didn’t let them down, but the hardest part for Mr Ransley was not getting enough to eat.

“The worst thing really was that we didn’t have a hot meal for 13 hours. We didn’t eat dinner until about 11, and before that we were just eating silly things like sweets to keep us going.

“On Monday I felt as though I had been beaten up, I really felt a lot of back pain and hip pain but I am completely recovered now,” Mr Ransley said.

The walkers raised £2,000 for The Stroke Association.