Wisbech swimmer Liam Knight and two friends cycled from Geneva to Milan to help pay for a defibrillator to be installed at Wisbech Rugby Club.

The backstroke sensation, who hopes to compete at the Rio Olympics, and his friends Tom Stokes and Matthew Brigham pedalled 328 miles across the Alps in just four days to raise £2,100 for SADS UK, a charity which provides defibrillators.

Knight said: “The cycle ride was in memory of my auntie (Suzanne Duffy) who passed away nine years ago from a condition that SADS tries to prevent.

“Putting defibrillators in schools and work places can save someone’s life, so someone doesn’t lose their life like my auntie did.

“The cycle was the hardest experience of my life for many reasons as we had to deal with ice, snow drifts the freezing cold.

“We had to walk up parts and sometimes the side of the mountain just to get to the top, but we pulled through and made it together. We didn’t want to let anyone down that’s what got us through it.

“We would like to thank all our sponsors for donating and helping us get through this trip and special thanks goes to Tom’s uncle Kevin Jones who acted as our back up support and luggage carrier.”

Anne Jolly, founder of SADS UK said: “The charity is grateful to Liam and his friends for undertaking this gruelling bike ride over mountainous terrain to raise awareness and funds for SADS UK.

“We are pleased that Wisbech Rugby Club will benefit from their generosity and have a defibrillator at the club to restart the heart if anyone should suffer a cardiac arrest.

“The early use of the defibrillator provides a person with the best possible chance of survival.”

You can still donate at https://www.justgiving.com/liam-knight1