A group of teenage footballers has raised over £750 for the British Heart Foundation from a 12-hour bikeathon.

Buckland Athletic under 14s youth team cycled the equivalent of 180 miles on two static bikes at Winners Gym in Newton Abbot on Friday (July 25) to raise money for the charity, which is close to the hearts of many players and parents at the club.

The team hope their endeavour will raise awareness and support for the British Heart Foundation as well as raise money for the charity and for the youth football team.

They were inspired by top goal scorer Ella Halfyard, who captains the Buckland girls under 18s team, despite living with a serious heart condition.

Ella, who lives in Holcombe, has a heart rhythm condition called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), which means that her heart can periodically beat too quickly due to a fault in the electrical system that controls her heartbeat.

She has a device in her chest that monitors her heart activity, and she has been in and out of Bristol Children’s Hospital for numerous tests, scans and surgeries over the past three years, including one heart surgery that took place while she was still awake.

The 180 miles cycled on Friday is the same distance as a journey from Buckland Athletic’s home ground, Homers Heath, to Bristol Children’s Hospital and back again.

Buckland under 14s were joined by Ella and some of the girls under 18s players as well as Buckland first team coach Shane Reavey.

Earlier this summer, Buckland’s youth section raised more than £400 for the British Heart Foundation from donations collected in buckets at its youth tournament.

Ella also inspired her sister Megan to raise over £3,500 for the British Heart Foundation when she ran the London Marathon in April.