RIDE 4 SAM: (left to right) Cousins Brandon, Maison, Liam and brothers Sam, Tyler and Harley before Sam sadly passed away

A Ramsgate dad-of-four and three of his cousins will tackle a 117 mile bike ride from Brighton to Margate tomorrow (August 22) in memory of his older brother.

Tyler Cawood, 32, and cousins Liam, Brandon and Mason, who are from Margate, will also be joined by their cousin Matthew who will be the support driver, holding supplies and the medic bag.

The gruelling ride is to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Sam Cawood who lost his life in May 2024 from heart failure.

Sam, from Westgate, was just 36-years-old.

Former Princess of Wales 1st Battalion infantryman Tyler said: “My brother was the friendliest guy. We grew up in Garlinge and everyone knew him. He always had time for everyone.

“We lost my brother two years ago from heart failure and it destroyed us.

“A death in the family is really hard to go through and when it is your brother it really hits home.”

In Sam’s memory, the ride is to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation which is the biggest independent funder of research into cardiovascular disease in the UK.

Tyler and Sam

The idea sprung from a challenge Tyler planned to join a few years ago riding from Brighton to Wales. Due to sad circumstances that ride didn’t go ahead.

Tyler, who is due to leave his current role to start a new job on the oil rigs, said: “We didn’t do that but it gave me the idea of doing the London to Brighton ride but then I realised that’s not long enough or tough enough. We want to raise as much as we can so decided on Brighton to Margate, finishing at The Hussar.

“None of us are professionals but I think the ride will take between 10 and 13 hours. We’ve all been training. I have been hitting the hills as the ride goes through a very hilly area. We have done a 60 mile ride but not the 120 miles which we are saving for Saturday so it will be a bit of a challenge but we will do it.

“I have been leaving for work at 4am, getting home, seeing the kids until their bedtime and then going out for a few hours on the bike so people can see I am training and taking it seriously.”

Estimated time of arrival at The Hussar, on Canterbury Road, is 4pm and the pub has laid on a bouncy castle and barbecue.

Tyler and his cousins have already smashed through the £1,000 fundraising target and are almost at £2,000.

Tyler said: “I wanted to raise £1,000 so everything else is a bonus and I think it might reach £2,000 by Saturday which is incredible. But even if we had raised £50 and that goes towards a bit of equipment for someone and potentially saves someone’s life, or makes someone’s life a bit longer, it’s a win in my eyes.”

Find Tyler’s fundraising page at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rideforsam

Every 3 minutes, someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease.

When your heart is not pumping blood as well as it should, it means you’re not getting enough oxygen. This affects how your body works, including your breathing and muscles. This causes some of the main symptoms of heart failure, like:

fainting or feeling lightheadedfeeling very tired (fatigued) or weak at rest which gets worse with movementshortness of breath when you’re active or restingswelling in your feet and ankles which can spread to your lower body.

You should see your GP as soon as you can if you experience any of these symptoms. If you are struggling to breathe or have chest pain, call 999 for immediate medical assistance.

There is not a cure for heart failure but available treatments can help manage symptoms and improve your quality of life.

The BHF funds over £100 million of lifesaving research into heart and circulatory diseases each year.

Find out more at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/