Cardiac Swimmers

After many years the scar fades to the point of being almost undetectable. However, The hole in the gut where they place a drainage tube can end up looking like a second belly button.

Yes, we have many members who have had heart surgery. The current USMS Treasurer, Ralph Davis, had a heart transplant about 10 years ago. Here is a photo of him that shows his impressive scar!

The best story I know is Larry Day, from heart attack survivor to Masters World Record holder. OPbSQfo6waY See also this article in SwimSwam. Larry currently holds the M60-64 LCM 200 fly record (2:29.05), and held the M60-64 LCM 400 IM record (5:28.25), until Rick Colella got it. Not bad for a heart patient!

Actually Rick also has some kind of heart condition, too, but I'm not sure exactly what it is.

Now, that's what I'm talking about. Not that I've seen a cardiac world record holder before, but there are many people like Larry who came back to see great success. It's quite normal now for athletic people to resume right where they left off. The book I referenced earlier came out of the interaction we had through the online Cardiac Athletes web site and Facebook pages. My procedure was done at a time when most doctors told you to take it easy for the rest of your life. Getting back into any sport was rare because it was roundly discouraged. So I returned to activity very slowly and tentatively. I was fortunate to have found a cardiologist who supported it.

It's not clear if you're looking for stories or to build a community of cardiac swimmers. I had a heart attack in 2009, ended up dead for a split second in the cath lab, now have a stent in my LAD. I started swimming last year, and while I'm too slow to be a competitive swimmer, I am slowly increasing my distance. I finished a 10K at the end of last year and this year am signed up for several longer swims, with the goal of testing the limits of the joy I get from swimming. I'm really lucky, my cardiologist is a swimmer and is hugely supportive.

I had a heart attack in 2005, and have four stents. (Three the first time, a fourth several years later) I have been competing since 2007. I am not a record holder by any means, but I do compete regularly. I now consider swimming--and swimming hard, to go fast--a basic part of my life.

I was diagnosed with A Fib about a year and a half ago, and they did an angiogram last Feb. My doctors told me to watch my heart rate and not do anything that could push it too high, or it may not come back down and cause me to have a stroke. That mostly rules out sprints. Works out well for me as I was never a big fan of swimming in meets, but I do like open water swims. I've done some o/w events since with no issues. The cooler the water the better, as it helps keep the HR lower.

Dave Radcliffe had a heart attack several years ago and has several WRS since. Rick Colella had an arrhythmia. He had an ablation and said he's fine now.

I am heart transplant and have swum competitively since being transplanted. I suffered a "drop" foot (had a "balloon" for 2 weeks which basically prevented leg movement - about 6 months after my LVAD surgery the flexibility of my left foot returned to about 90%). This is somewhat inhibiting because I am a *** stroker. Still have a ventral hernia (common when the LVAD is removed in the heart transplant surgery), this may cause some extra resistence in the water. As with all heart transplants my vagus nerve is cut, so lost neurological connections are substituted via other paths (???) - (at times I get out of breath quicker). I will be 65 this year and hope to get a couple of top 10 times. - Become a donor, someone did and saved my life - Thank You