My Story
I started running in my spare time several years ago and have completed hundreds of 10K’s, many half marathons and even a ‘virtual’ run from Lands End to John O’Groats over a ten-month period in 2021.
London Marathon 2022
I’d never run a marathon up until that point but my opportunity finally came around when the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) kindly gave me a charity place to run the London Marathon on 2 October 2022 which I managed to complete in 4 hours 23 minutes.
Shortly afterwards, I decided to enter the ballot for London Marathon 2023 and was lucky enough to win a ballot place much to my delight.
I began my 16-week marathon training in the first week of January 2023 completely unaware of how my life was about to drastically change!
Royal Papworth Hospital
June 2023
During a marathon training run on 22 January 2023, I was an hour into the run when I suddenly developed severe breathlessness and had to stop running immediately.
I knew straight away something very serious was wrong, so I visited my local general practitioner (GP) the next day. My GP then referred me to my cardiologist, Dr. Sarah Clarke, who is also the Deputy Chair of the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
The following four months involved various tests and scans, including blood and blood pressure tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), an echocardiogram, and a computerized tomography (CT) coronary angiogram.
Dr. Sarah Clarke diagnosed a chronic total occlusion (i.e. total blockage) at the top of my right coronary artery (RCA) caused by coronary heart disease (CHD).
During these four months, I continued to experience severe breathlessness when just walking and going up and down stairs. It was such a scary feeling especially when, just several months earlier, I had run the London Marathon from start to finish!
I was finally admitted to Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK, on 16 June 2023 for a procedure to fix my heart. Dr. Sarah Clarke & Dr. Stephen Hoole performed a ‘percutaneous transluminal angioplasty’ of my right coronary artery for chronic total occlusions (CTO) plus the insertion of a stent.
Basically speaking, they managed to unblock my right coronary artery and then fit it with a 4cm stent!
Below are the actual X-ray imaging videos of my heart.
(1) Before: Blocked right coronary artery
(2) Procedure: Stent being inserted
(3) After: My heart back to normal again!
1. BEFORE
Blocked Right Coronary Artery (RCA) In My Heart
Red arrow in video shows blocked artery
2. PROCEDURE
CTO (Coronary Artery – Chronic Total Occlusion)
Unblocked artery with 4cm stent being inserted where red arrow appears in video
3. AFTER
Post-Procedure
Unblocked artery and stent fitted.
Heart functioning normally again!
Cambridge Half Marathon
Sunday 9 March 2025
Just a few short weeks after my procedure at Royal Papworth Hospital, I decided to try and start running again and have slowly but surely managed to get back to full-running fitness.
Obviously, I was unable to run the Cambridge Half Marathon in 2023 due to my heart health issues, but I’m delighted to say I managed to run and complete the next one that was held on Sunday 3 March 2024.
When I suffered my blocked right coronary artery in 2023, I thought my running days were well and truly over. However, thanks to the wonders of modern science, the team at Royal Papworth Hospital and the stent they fitted in my heart, I managed to finish the race with a personal best official time of 1 hour 49 minutes and 54 seconds.
I’m running the Cambridge Half Marathon once again on Sunday 9 March 2025 to help raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to fundraise in support of the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
I’m also dedicating the run in memory of my dear mother Glennis who sadly passed away suddenly in 2008 at the age of 68 from a serious heart condition (i.e. ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm).
London Marathon
Sunday 27 April 2025
After the huge disappointment of having to withdraw my ballot place for London Marathon 2023 due to my heart problems, I was delighted to discover that I was eligible for a ‘deferred place’ for the following one that was held on Sunday 21 April 2024.
So hot on the heels of the Cambridge Half Marathon 2024, I took on the challenge of running London Marathon for a second time. Having run my first one in 2022 with serious underlying CHD that I was completely unaware of at the time, I ran London Marathon 2024 with the knowledge that I had my stent fitted and vastly improved heart health. I’m delighted to say I managed to finish it with a personal best official time of 3 hour 54 minutes and 39 seconds.
I then went on to successfully complete London Marathon for a third time on Sunday 27 April 2025 in a time of 4 hours 32 minutes and 2 seconds to help raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to fundraise in support of the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Many thanks to everyone who supported me and the BHF by making a donation to this wonderful charity dedicated to fighting cardiovascular diseases. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by heart conditions.
AJ Bell Great North Run thon
Sunday 7 Sepember 2025
I shall be running the AJ Bell Great North Run for the first time on Sunday 7 September2025 to help raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) and to fundraise in support of the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Please support me and the BHF by making a donation to this wonderful charity dedicated to fighting cardiovascular diseases. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by heart conditions.