A FOUR-year-old with a heart condition is doing a triathlon to raise money to thank Musgrove Park Hospital staff who have cared for him.

Montague Rogers, from Bathpool, came up with the idea after watching his grandad train for a running, cycling and swimming event.

Despite having pulmonary stenosis and atrial septal defect, Monty has triathlons in the blood - as well as his grandfather, his mother was captain of the triathlon club at university, while his father is a swimming teacher.

Monty, who attends Taunton School Nursery, has been swimming up to four times a week since he was four-weeks-old, runs every evening and has learned to ride a bike without stabilisers during lockdown.

He hit on the idea of supporting Love Musgrove, the hospital's official charity, to show his gratitude for the support he has received there and the way his brother, William, aged one, has been cared for while being hospitalised several times with breathing difficulties.

Monty said: "I want to help all the people at the hospital as they have been working hard fighting the nasty bug (COVID-19).

"I like swimming, but it’s cold and salty in the sea.

"I like to ride my bike and go running with mummy too."

When he tackles the scaled down triathlon of a 100-metre swim, 1k cycle and 500m run on Sunday, June 28, it will be the first time he has tackled the challenge.

His mother, Kirsty, said: "I am very proud of Monty.

"He came up with the idea all on his own after seeing his grandad training for triathlons.

"He’s always loved his swimming, and so moving on to triathlons was a natural progression for him."

Monty says his ambition is to be a swimmer like his hero Adam Peaty - or failing that a binman.

You can sponsor Monty at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/montysminitri