In 2013, Andy Jansons lost his 18-year-old son, Alexander, to myocarditis, a rare heart condition with few warning signs. Alexander had been a healthy, active teenager throughout his life, making his sudden passing all the more shocking.
Andy spoke to EN about the vital role of the charity established in Alexander’s name and the Alexander Jansons Rowing Cup in raising awareness and funding critical research to help prevent similar tragedies.
From grief to action
“There were no warnings,” said Jansons. “We had never even heard of myocarditis until after it was too late.”
Motivated by grief and a determination to prevent other families from experiencing similar loss, Jansons founded the charity Myocarditis UK in 2014 to raise awareness and fund critical research into the condition. A year later, he launched the Jansons Rowing Cup, an event created not only to honour Alexander’s memory but also to unite communities around a common cause.
Since then, the Rowing Cup has grown into one of the UK’s most distinctive corporate charity fundraisers. Each year, it brings together property firms, legal teams, and corporate sponsors for a spirited, competitive rowing challenge, fostering camaraderie, raising vital funds, and keeping Alexander’s legacy alive through action.
Zero overheads, maximum impact
Sponsored by Jansons’ own business, Jansons Property, the charity operates with zero overheads. Its base is the company’s main office, allowing every pound raised to go directly toward research and support.
“We wanted to do something different from the usual ‘please sponsor me’ approach,” said Jansons. “People want to get involved. The Rowing Cup is a team-based challenge, but also a networking event, and that’s why it works.”
A decade of growth
Held at Eton Dorney Lake and just passing its 10th anniversary, this year’s rowing event is set to be the biggest yet, with 14 teams competing and spots oversubscribed. Major corporate names such as Volvo UK and Savills have taken part over the years.
The charity has raised over £1.2m, built a research cohort of more than 300 patients, and partnered with the British Heart Foundation to better understand how the condition presents and progresses. During the Covid-19 pandemic, myocarditis diagnoses also increased, particularly in younger men.
Beyond rowing: expanding the mission
The rowing event is just one part of the charity’s work. It has also founded a football team as a community initiative to help young people cope with grief through sport.
Jansons recently took the cause international, speaking at a real estate conference in Lisbon to more than 500 industry professionals, where the charity was the event’s chosen beneficiary.
Partnerships are now being explored with Great Ormond Street Hospital and a large American myocarditis charity to further extend the organisation’s reach and impact.
Raising awareness where it matters most
Despite the progress made, Jansons is clear that there’s still a long way to go in raising awareness within the medical community. He stresses the urgent need to better educate GPs and A&E departments about myocarditis. “It’s still underreported and misdiagnosed,” he said. “We need to get better at spotting it early, because early intervention can mean the difference between life and death.”
The charity now aims to become the leading UK portal for myocarditis education, support, and research, providing trusted information for both the public and healthcare professionals.
With August 17 officially recognised as Myocarditis Awareness Day, Jansons says the focus remains firmly on saving lives through greater awareness, early diagnosis, and more informed treatment.
Looking ahead
With the original goal of raising £1m already surpassed, Myocarditis UK has now set its sights £2m. But for Andy Jansons, the mission has never been solely about hitting fundraising milestones, it’s about creating lasting change in how myocarditis is understood, diagnosed, and treated.
“This all began from a personal tragedy,” he said. “Now it’s about making sure no other family is caught off guard by something so serious and so invisible. Awareness, education, and early detection can save lives, and that’s what drives us every day.”
Learn more about Myocarditis UK by visiting here
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