Olly Papaconstantinou
At just 18, routine medical checks for an amateur boxing license revealed that Olly had a congenital heart defect. The young boxer’s dream of pursuing his passion at a competitive level had to be put on hold.
Encouraged by his mum, he signed up for MyMarathon in 2024 to ease himself back into the active lifestyle he’d enjoyed.
“I figured that it was an opportunity to push myself gently while also doing something for a good cause.” Says Olly.
With the support of his community, he ran an impressive 108 kilometres during the month of May and smashed his fundraising goal by $500!
“Coming from someone who has lived it, I think it’s so important that we support heart research and resources for people living with heart conditions,” he says. “Especially when heart disease affects so many New Zealanders – it's one of our country’s biggest killers.”
Skyla Williams
Waking up from a coma alone in a hospital room, Skyla had no idea how she got there…
At just 19 years old, a fit and healthy Skyla had experienced cardiac arrest.
Diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD), doctors told her that she’d need to undergo a double bypass - something that rarely happens to women her age.
Making a huge effort to be more aware of her heart health and increase her physical activity levels, Skyla registered for MyMarathon in 2024. She raised nearly $700 while walking a marathon over the month of May.
“It felt so wonderful to know that everyone was backing me,” she says. “Especially because they all went through my heart event too. Nobody ever expected me to have a cardiac arrest.”
“Chances are, if you don’t already, you’ll meet someone in life who has a heart condition. It affects so many people. Fundraising for the Heart Foundation is probably going to benefit someone they know. It’s such a good cause.”
Debbie Silvester
What started as a run-of-the-mill nosebleed quickly turned into something much more serious for Debbie…
When the nosebleed escalated to severe chest and back pain, Debbie was later told that she'd had a heart attack. Due to her unexpected diagnosis, she decided to make significant lifestyle changes to keep her heart healthy.
Seeing MyMarathon 2024 as a meaningful way to stay active and raise awareness, Debbie signed up and conquered 42km over the month of May. She also raised over $300!
Since her heart attack, Debbie has found support in the Heart Foundation community, especially through watching videos of others’ journeys.
“When you’ve had a heart attack, it becomes personal. Seeing other people’s stories really helped me through it.”
She now encourages others to take control of their health, sharing her story as a reminder that heart disease can affect anyone, anywhere, anytime, even those who appear healthy on the outside.
Rob Moke
When Rob began suffering from syncopal episodes (otherwise known as temporary loss of consciousness) at work, he had no idea it could be related to his heart.
One day, he was rushed to the hospital after another fainting spell, and the doctors discovered he had bradycardia, an abnormally slow heart rate.
“They immediately thought my syncope episodes were related to my heart,” he explains. “However, I’ve gone through many tests, and they can’t quite pinpoint the problem. It’s likely that I may not have enough blood pressure to get the blood to my brain effectively.”
Keen to give back after all the support he’d received, he challenged himself to walk more than 100 kilometres over the month of May, with his whanāu by his side.
“Do it for your friends and whānau – some of them might be suffering in silence. Do it so they can come out and acknowledge what is happening to them and know that there is support there for them. By doing that, getting out and walking, you’re also being a role model. Who knows, maybe someone will join you next time!”
