Wakefield man who underwent pioneering heart stem procedure is to attempt to break an outdoor go karting record

Barry Newman, from East Ardsley, underwent a revolutionary surgery in 2018 after being diagnosed with heart failure.

Stem cells were taken from Mr Newman’s bone marrow, treated in a lab, and injected back into the heart via the groin, which regenerated his damaged heart.

The lifesaving treatment – which was carried out in London and funded by the charity Heart Cells Foundation - carried less risk of rejection than a heart transplant.

Mr Newman found out about the breakthrough procedure after watching a report on TV’s The One Show a year prior. Before the surgery, his heart only worked at 13 per cent capacity, and was placed on palliative care.

Now four years on, the thrill-seeking dad is feeling back to normal and is working out at the gym in preparation to break the world mileage record for an individual 24 hour outdoor kart race this summer.

Mr Newman, 56, said: “I’ve been into karting for many years, and before I got ill, I was supposed to break the world record for covering more than 1,000 miles in a go-kart in under 24 hours in a race.

"Completing it was the last thing on my mind when the doctors told me that I was going to die, but now I’m feeling back to normal I want to break the record.

"My wife, Nikki, is my cardio physiotherapist, and she suggested that I complete the challenge. I didn’t need to be asked twice, so now I’m in the gym four times a week getting ready for the race in August.

“My fitness level has come massively. We’ve ordered the kart, which will be delivered in a few weeks time.”

Mr Newman will complete the challenge at Teesside Karting in Middlesbrough, one of the biggest tracks in Europe, spanning 2.1km.

He has purchased the £6,000 kart that he will race in. He aims to recoup the money, and donate the remainder of the funds to the Heart Cell Foundation.

To donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/barry-newman-4