After suffering a near fatal heart attack, most business execs would think about easing off, delegating more work to younger colleagues and possibly even taking a well-earned retirement.

But not Bruton Knowles' partner and ironman, Scott Winnard.

Scott, from Eldersfield near Tewkesbury, suffered a serious heart attack while competing at a triathlon in 2014 but has now fought back to fitness - and been selected for the Great Britain squad in the Triathlon World Championships in July.

Scott, 50, who is celebrating 25 years at Bruton Knowles's Gloucester office, is a veteran tri-athlete who has competed in various national and international events including the Ironman World Championships held at Chattanooga in the USA.

Following his consolidated recovery, Bruton Knowles has agreed to sponsor Scott as he makes his competitive comeback at the forthcoming World Championship to be held in Fyn, Denmark. The commercial property specialists will also sponsor Scott when he competes in the European Championships in Ibiza in October.

Scott says his experience - from the actual heart attack through the recovery process and back to full fitness, is a lesson for us all.

"It's not just people who are unfit or overweight who are going to be at risk - a heart attack can happen to anyone. I was fully fit when I competed in the London Triathlon event in 2014, but suffered a stress related heart attack during the event."

Scott said he was fortunate it had happened in the capital rather than out in the countryside.

"Luckily for me I was treated on the course - by a doctor riding a motorbike - inside five minutes. I was taken straight to the London Chest Hospital and was operated on inside an hour. I remember the extreme pain and any delay would have been fatal."

Scott suffers from coronary heart disease and had a blockage in his artery. He was fitted with a stent.

"I lost two stone and was back at work in six weeks - you have to be motivated to do it. Rather than give up sport and take it easy, the NHS recommends you get back to physical exercise as quickly as possible."

He was called back for a fitness stress test two months later - and the positive results were a key confidence booster. A change in training regime, diet and prescribed drugs to counter high blood pressure, have all assisted him in bouncing back to fitness.

He said: "I look upon each training session and event as a gift and it has also been fantastic to inspire others to take up sport and perform."

Scott will now be competing as part of Team GB, along with his partner Claudia Wilesmith. They are both members of Tewkesbury Triathlon Club.