YOU TUBE STAR IS CHUFFED TO BITS ; Dad skied 10km to raise cash for kids' heart unit

A DAREDEVIL dad has become an internet hit after skiing down amountain wearing a miniscule mankini ... and it's all for thehospital which saved his son's life.

Ivan Hollingsworth's pals dared him to ski 10 kilometres in theskimpy swimsuit while on holiday in the winter resort of Valloire,France.

Little did they know that Ivan will take on almost any challenge -so long as it raises cash for the Children's Heart Unit atNewcastle's Freeman Hospital, which saved his son Sebastian's lifetwo years ago.

So, after handing over pounds 500 for the Children's Heart UnitFund (CHUF), Ivan's friends filmed him zooming down the ski run inthe suit made famous by comedy character Borat, in temperatures ofminus 5C, watched on by some rather bemused skiers.

And footage of the ski stunt has now been put on video sharingwebsite YouTube as well as on Twitter, where it is helping to raiseeven more cash for CHUF.

Pharmaceutical rep Ivan, 35, a former competitive athlete ofWhitley Bay, North Tyneside, said: "It was cold, so I needed one ortwo warm wines first ... but when I got to the bottom and saw mywife Nadine and Sebastian I got quite choked up. He and otherchildren are what it's all about."

It was back in 2009 that Ivan and his wife Nadine, 34, were toldtheir son was suffering from congenital heart defect tetralogy ofFallot when he was just 15 hours old.

A team at the Freeman Hospital carried out lifesaving surgerywhen he was just 16 weeks old and, ever since then, Ivan and Nadinahave channelled their efforts into fundraising for CHUF through afund set up called Seb4Chuf. Ivan said: "I think my wife knows thatif someone is prepared to put money in the charity I will do almostanything - she has a fear of how far I will go.

"We were on holiday in Valloire with friends a couple of weeksago when one friend bet me pounds 100 I wouldn't ski 10km in amankini ... I said no, but that I'd do it for pounds 500. He wasback five minutes later with the money.

"When I came to do it I was very nervous stepping out wearing solittle fabric, but once I got going I was all right.

"Some friends edited the video down and I was very uncomfortablewatching myself, but I hope people will watch it then go to ourwebsite and donate more money.

"The Children's Heart Unit embodies what is good about the NHSand everything they do - from the surgical team to the nurses - isjust sensational." For information on the couple's fundraising,visit www.seb4chuf.org.uk www.sundaysun.co.uk GALLERY VIDEO WHAT DOYOU THINK? Watch the video of the ski stunt