Sally Gunnell, the OBE, has opened up about a friend’s sudden death. Despite not having any prior symptoms, the Olympic gold medalist was suddenly hit by a “massive heart attack.”
The 61-year-old had a lifelong love of sports, always working out in the gym and cycling, while keeping his alcohol intake to a minimum. However, his arteries were blocked by a small piece of plaque, which caused him to pass away instantly.
In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Sally said, “He died just instantly, and that was it.” Nothing was there. No admonition. He probably had left his bike a few days earlier.
Sally continued, “He was an athlete for many years, had always maintained his health and fitness, but I guess you don’t know how much stress they go through and what else is happening in their lives.”
“But you know, he was always working out, staying in shape, never drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, really. And I believe it was merely a shock, I suppose.
The tragic fact that, according to British Heart Foundation statistics, heart attacks continue to be the leading cause of death globally for both men and women, underscores the grim reality.
One heart attack occurs every five minutes in the UK, equaling roughly one hundred and one thousand per year. Around 20% to 60% of cases, according to the Cleveland Clinic, are completely ” silent “, describing often painless events without any prior symptoms.
Sally and her husband, John, were completely moved by their friend’s passing because their lifestyles mirrored one another’s. In light of this, Bluecrest Wellness and they made the decision to have a health checkup. Blood tests, an ECG, and other assessments were included in this time, which spanned 30 to 45 minutes.
Sally’s iron levels were a little low, but her “metabolic age” was 42, which is an impressive 15 years younger than her actual age of 57. However, the picture didn’t quite work out for John because of early signs of plaque buildup and high cholesterol.
Their friend’s symptom before his fatal heart attack was plaque buildup, which was particularly alarming. Sally continued, “I think John was a little in denial because we both know and love to exercise, and we both do so.
He said, “Oh, I’m not going to do anything that’s fine, we’ll just carry on,” which is a “kind of] scenario where I panicked and said, “Well, hang on a minute, I can’t just ignore this.”
The pair has collaborated to alter their outcomes now that they have moved forward. Sally had to reduce her red meat intake to combat those high iron levels.
In the meantime, John is taking statins to lower his low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and the pair continue to exercise less strenuously called “Zone Two.” In the upcoming months, they will need a second checkup.
“It’s very simple to bury your head, and I sometimes feel like, “Do I really want to know?” Sally responded. “And of course, we do really because, as you know, I’ve always said, I’d rather prevent things if we leave it too late,” he said. Before it’s too late, I’d prefer to make changes in my life.
Sally, 58, continued, “When you hear about Davina [McCall] and Sir Chris Hoy uncovering these terrible health conditions, it really brings out the value of facing up to it, knowing your numbers, and understanding your risks, without being scared.”
