A South Otago woman will cycle the North Island to raise money for the Heart Foundation alongside 200 others.
Shirley Johnstone, of Hillend, will be taking part in the North Island leg of the New Zealand cycle tour which will take her on an eight-day journey from Kaitaia to Wellington.
Mrs Johnstone, who has the hereditary heart condition Romano-Ward syndrome, said despite her condition, in which an abnormally fast heartbeat can lead to unconsciousness and cardiac arrest, she was relaxed about the ride.
''I know my heartbeat. I wear a heart monitor, when it reaches a certain level I have to slow down or pull over.''
The tour starts on Saturday.
Raising money for the foundation was an ''obvious choice'' as her mother underwent a quadruple bypass and her father died of a heart attack aged 42, when Mrs Johnstone was 12, she said.
He was due to go to hospital for tests the day after the attack happened but ''he never got there''.
If the attack had happened now, the doctor would have sent him straight to the hospital.
''They have learnt a lot since then.''
Her own heart condition meant vigorous exercise could make her pass out but she was not worried.
''I just go with it.''
She could always walk, she said.
Cycling became part of her life about 16 years ago after she was admitted to hospital with an erratic heartbeat and was told to ''give up the smokes and slow down''.
She took the advice but ''after a while'' she realised she had to do something to take her mind off it.
Mrs Johnstone completed the South Island leg of the New Zealand tour in 2015 and ''absolutely loved it''.
''I don't think people would call it a holiday but it is great fun and you meet an amazing group of people who provide a lot of encouragement and support.''
The North Island course would have more hills than the South Island one but she was preparing herself.
Training had to fit around her farming life so she cycled mainly during the night and in the weekends.
