A student who was saved by his friends after his heart stopped for 30 minutes stepped into the hot seat to launch a gruelling fundraising rowing challenge.
Mike Davies, 23, a fourth year medical student, collapsed while playing rugby for the university medical school last November.
After his heart stopped beating, his team mates kept him alive by giving him heart massage.
He went on to make a full recovery and was this week the first person to sit on a rowing machine during a sponsored marathon of one million metres, also known as an ergothon.
Members of Southampton University Boat Club organised the tiring fundraiser at The Marlands Shopping Centre to raise money for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young. They invited former member Mike, who has himself been helped by the charity, to take part.
Mike, of Holyrood Avenue, Highfield, said: "It was good fun taking part. I am really pleased that this has been organised to raise money for the charity.
Jonathan Crowther, 20, of the university boat club, said up to 50 people had made the event possible.
Jonathan, a third year economics student, said: "We have been getting a lot of interest from people and been walking around with collection buckets."
Money is still being counted up from the sponsored event.
