A READING FC fan is set to cycle 40km from the football club to Wycomb Wanderers FC to encourage uptake of CPR training.
Pippa Sharman is set to take on the feat in an effort to see more fans learning how to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation as part of the Sky Bet Every Minute Matters Relay.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Sky Bet are on a mission to get 270,000 footie fans to learn lifesaving CPR as part of the ‘Every Minute Matters’ campaign – a partnership which will aim to raise £3million for the BHF.
The relay kicked off on 25th March, is a gruelling 4,000-kilometer 28-day journey that will feature an incredible 72 legs stopping off at each and every EFL club before culminating at Wembley on April 21.
But unlike traditional charity events, the ‘Every Minute Matters’ relay isn’t asking for fans to donate cash but instead is asking fans to give up just 15 minutes to learn CPR.
Ms Sharman’s participation follows an incident in 2022 when she was at an away match in Luton.
She saw Luton Town fan David Norman crash into another car after suffering a cardiac arrest, and ran over to David’s car and realised that he was not breathing.
Reaching over and undoing his seat belt, she pulled him on to the road and began CPR.
Emergency services quickly arrived and took over, delivering shocks to re-start his heart.
David Norman made a remarkable recovery and the pair were re-united at the reverse fixture, sharing a heartfelt hug.
Pippa was given a Pride of Reading Award in 2023 for her life-saving actions.
She sets off today, Wednesday, April 16.
More information about learning CPR is available via: bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help
