Workington memorial fundraising triathlon - 'Jeff would have absolutely loved it'

The mini triathlon, which raised £680, was held at Workington Leisure Centre, in memory of Jeff Heyes, who died suddenly on February 12.

FINISH: Jeff's daughters Natalie and Stephanie finish together

His daughters, Natalie and Stephanie, took part and were cheered on by mum Margaret.

"It was a fantastic day. Jeff would have absolutely loved it," said Margaret.

The triathlete, who had retired from Sellafield weeks earlier, was 58 and well known for his sporting ability. A post mortem revealed that Jeff had ischaemic heart disease. He and his family had no inkling of this and are keen to raise awareness of heart disease, which causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK.

The triathlon was organised in conjunction with Tri Lakeland, of which Jeff was a member, and involved a pool swim (200m), indoor cycle (4k) and run (1k).

CONTESTANTS: Luke Reeson and Mark Hopkins

Huw Brassington was the fastest male with a time of 13:48. Viv Winter was the fastest female with a time of 16:52.

Participant Nick Verall said: "It was my first ever tri and won't be my last, a BIG thank you to all that made it a memorable event, I really enjoyed it.

"It was well organised and the support from everybody was fantastic, a real boost."

The family was delighted with how it all went.

TEAMWORK: Margaret with some of the helpers and participants

Margaret said: "I would like to say a massive thank you to the leisure centre staff, organisers, participants, volunteers and Tri Lakeland for a great event on Saturday.

"It was well organised and a fantastic day, I couldn't have been more proud of you all, you were all amazing, Jeff would have absolutely loved it."

The funds raised will go towards a wellness day, which includes blood pressure screening, at Workington Leisure Centre, where Jeff was a regular.

A Spinathon and Training Boot Camp, with access to multiple fitness classes, will be held on Saturday, May 14, at the leisure centre. A children's fun run will also be held.

"The amount from both events will be added together and will go towards funding a wellness programme at GLL Workington Leisure Centre and Blood Pressure UK," said Margaret.