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February is Heart Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about cardiovascular health. As this month comes to a close I wanted to share my story to highlight that no matter how healthy we are we are not invincible. As runners, we pride ourselves on being strong, disciplined, and resilient. We push through discomfort, chase PRs. But the truth is, being fit does not make us immune to heart disease.
I learned this the hard way.
On my son's first birthday I went out for a short, 5-mile run as part of my half Ironman training when I noticed something felt off. I was unusually tired, stopping more than usual, and struggling to catch my breath. At first, I blamed it on being out of shape, I was only a year postpartum. Instead of listening to my body, I pushed harder. When I finally finished, dizziness overwhelmed me. My heart was racing—my sports bra was strangling me and my heart was beating so fast I could see it beating outside of my chest. That was the moment I realized something was seriously wrong.
I was later diagnosed with ARVC, now called Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM), a rare genetic heart disease that puts athletes at risk for sudden cardiac events. Before that day, I had no idea I was at risk. I had had episodes of passing out in races, times where I was overly fatigued or my heart raced, but every time I sought out help I was told I was fine or dehydrated. So I started to ignore my symptoms and push through until I couldn't. I was very lucky I survived ventricular tachycardia that day and all the times I had passed out in the past. Here are a few things you should know.
Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore
Even the fittest athletes can have underlying heart conditions. These symptoms are not normal and should never be ignored:
Unexplained fatigue or struggling with workouts that used to feel easy
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting during or after exercise
Shortness of breath that feels different or unusual for you
Chest pain, tightness, or discomfort, even if it comes and goes
Heart palpitations or an irregular, racing heartbeat
If you experience any of these signs, don’t dismiss them. If you have a family history of heart disease or unexplained sudden deaths, it’s even more critical to pay attention. You should reach out to a sports cardiologist in your area.
Why Awareness Matters
My diagnosis changed everything. I can no longer push my heart the way I once did, but I am grateful to be here to share my story. Not everyone is as lucky.
Just because we think we’re healthy doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware of the risks. Heart disease doesn’t always come with obvious symptoms, and it doesn’t care how fit or strong we are. This Heart Month, take a moment to listen to your body, recognize the warning signs, and don’t be afraid to seek help. It could save your life.
If you are interested in the full story I wrote a book about it several years ago: Racing Heart: A Runner's Journey of Love, Loss and Perseverance
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