Sep 7, 2026 · 1h 39m
Olympic runner rebuilds her life after sudden cardiac arrest
Olympic Medalist Jenny Simpson On Her Sudden Cardiac Arrest After A Race & The Journey Back To Health
Jenny Simpson’s survival raises urgent questions about inherited heart disease, emergency preparedness, and identity when an athlete’s defining craft may disappear.
- 1Simpson’s cardiac arrest exposed inherited ARVC, a condition running revealed rather than caused, and one that screening may not easily detect.
- 2Her recovery depended on emergency intervention, medical monitoring, family, faith, and a willingness to begin again without certainty.
- 3If running ends, Simpson hopes to carry its discipline, confidence, and connection into teaching and mentoring others.
Don't miss
Simpson describes her unusual near-death experience as a fierce struggle rather than a peaceful passage, with others’ support helping hold her through it.
The brief
Olympic medalist Jenny Simpson recounts collapsing after a community mile race, surviving repeated shocks and CPR, and spending five days on life support after an undiagnosed inherited heart condition surfaced.
Her memories of the crisis are fragmented and far from peaceful: she recalls an intense struggle, determination, and the feeling of being held by family, friends, and medical staff.
Simpson and Rich Roll separate her rare arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy from ordinary cardiovascular risk, emphasizing CPR, defibrillators, sensible screening, and emergency readiness.
Doctors are using repeated cardiac MRIs to determine what activity may be safe, leaving Simpson to grieve the possibility that she may never run again.
The episode’s deeper question is how to preserve running’s gifts—discipline, intimacy, confidence, and purpose—when the athlete must become a teacher and mentor instead.
Featuring
Jenny Simpson
DukeListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.