INSPIRATIONAL cyclist Chris Graham has been made a Champion of Alzheimer's Research UK, after cycling 16,000 miles around the coast of Canada and America despite being diagnosed with the disease himself.

The father-of-three has been handed the accolade after fundraising more than £40,000 for the charity.

Mr Graham, 40, from Carterton, completed the challenge at the end of 2015, equipped with nothing more than a bike, a tent and essential supplies.

He finished his mission in just eight months and was reunited with his family on Christmas Eve just in time for his son's first birthday.

He said: "Even though I know what will happen to me in the coming years, I now have direction in life.

"I wanted to do something to fight back, to do as much as I can while I can. It’s simple for me – you have to hit the enemy directly."

Hilary Evans, chief executive at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "We are delighted to make Chris a Champion of Alzheimer's Research UK and greatly appreciate his staggering fundraising efforts to date.

"His motivation for raising awareness of our work and increasing public understanding of dementia is a personal one.

"However Chris's bravery in facing dementia head on by cycling around America and Canada while raising vital funds for us is incredibly inspiring so we cannot thank him enough."

Mr Graham discovered in 2010 that he carried the same faulty gene that claimed the lives of his father, aunt, cousin and granddad – all in their 40s – from Alzheimer's.

This rare, inherited form of Alzheimer's disease has also left his 44-year-old brother bedbound in a care home being fed through a tube.

There are 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia today and the charity relies on public donations to carry on with its vital work.