Olympian Sally Gunnell OBE has shared her lifestyle changes after the sudden death of a friend. The Olympic champion was hit by a devastating ‘wake-up call’ when her former physiotherapist experienced a ‘massive heart attack’, despite no apparent warning signs.
The 61-year-old lived an active lifestyle, often cycling and regularly hitting the gym, while keeping his alcohol consumption low. However, it took just a small buildup of plaque to clog his arteries and ‘that was it’ – he passed away in an ‘instant’ fatal episode.
“He died just instantly, and that was it,” Sally said in an exclusive interview with the Mirror. “There was nothing. No warnings. I think he’d been out on his bike a couple of days before.”
Sally went on: “He was an athlete for many years, had always kept himself fit and healthy, but I guess you just don’t know what stress people are under and what else is going on in their life.
“But you know, he was always in the gym, always kept himself fit, didn’t drink loads or anything like that, really. […] And I think it was just, you know, quite a shock.”
This tragic event emphasises a stark fact that heart attacks are the number one killer globally for both sexes, as per statistics from the British Heart Foundation. In the UK, around 100,000 hospital visits each year are due to heart attacks, translating to one every five minutes.
Cleveland Clinic also points out that between 20 to 60% of these cases may be ‘silent’, often occurring without pain or previous symptoms. Sally and her husband, John, were completely floored by the sudden death of their friend, whose lifestyle habits were similar to their own.
This shock prompted them to undergo a thorough health examination with Bluecrest Wellness, encompassing blood tests, an ECG, and other assessments. The results revealed Sally’s iron levels were slightly elevated, but her ‘metabolic age’ was an impressive 42, a full 15 years younger than her actual age of 57.
John’s results, however, raised concerns with high cholesterol levels and early signs of arterial plaque. Plaque is the same symptom their friend had experienced before his heart attack, leaving Sally extremely concerned.
She continued: “I think John was a bit in denial because sport and exercise have always been in our lives, and you know, and we do eat pretty healthy.
“He was a bit like, ‘Oh, I’m not going to do anything that’s fine, we’ll just carry on,’ [kind of] scenario, and of course, I panicked going, ‘Well, hang on a minute, I can’t just ignore this’.”
Now, the couple have taken steps together to improve their health. For Sally, this meant reducing her red meat consumption to address her high iron levels.
John has since started taking statins to manage his low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, and the couple have adjusted their exercise routine to a less strenuous ‘Zone Two’. They are scheduled for another health check-up soon.
“It’s very easy to bury your head, and sometimes you’re like, ‘Do I really want to know?'” Sally said. “And of course, we do really, because, you know, I’ve always believed that if we leave it too late, it becomes a bigger issue and I’d rather prevent things. I’d rather make changes within my life before it’s too late.”
Now 58, Sally added: “When you hear news of Davina [McCall] and Sir Chris Hoy uncovering these awful health conditions, it really brings home the importance of facing up to this stuff, knowing your numbers, and understanding your risks, without being scared.”