Jenny Simpson reveals rare heart condition caused her collapse; she will not return to running
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — World champion runner Jenny Simpson revealed it was a rare heart condition that threw her into cardiac arrest at a race in June and that she will not…
World champion runner Jenny Simpson has revealed that a rare heart condition caused her cardiac arrest during a race in June. In an Instagram post, the 39-year-old disclosed she was diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a condition that led to dangerous heart rhythms which ultimately caused her heart to stop.
Simpson stated that the diagnosis means it would be dangerous for her to return to running, saying, "That chapter has ended." She added, "Thankfully, my story hasn't." Simpson collapsed while pacing a group of girls in a mile run at a North Carolina event, where she received CPR and an automated external defibrillator before being taken to the hospital.
Responding to inquiries about what message she would like people to convey following her incident, Simpson requested that people say, "I'm glad you're here," rather than expressing sympathy or regret. Simpson had been America's leading women's 1,500-meter runner for nearly a decade, winning world championships in 2011, finishing second twice, and claiming an Olympic bronze medal in Rio in 2016.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
