Brightwalton heart attack survivor to run London Marathon with daughter 18 months on for British Heart Foundation

A heart attack survivor is preparing to take on the London Marathon next week.

Andrew Taylor, 56, was in the bathroom getting ready for another busy week at work in November 2023, when he started to experience a series of distressing symptoms.

“I was brushing my teeth when I felt the most unusual cold sweat,” recalled the Brightwalton resident.

“I felt a crushing pain around my face and neck that went into my chest and arms.

“It all came on so quickly. I remember sitting on the bathroom floor thinking, ‘What the hell is going on?’”

After seeking help from his partner, Mr Taylor was treated at his local hospital, where he was shocked to learn that he had suffered a heart attack.

“I led a very hectic life, but I always made a point of making time to go for a run or swim,” he said.

“I work in corporate hospitality, so I’m very conscious of food, nutrition, and the importance of eating well.

“I never considered myself a candidate for a heart attack.”

Looking back, Mr Taylor believes there were warning signs that a problem was developing.

“My approach to life has always been 100 miles an hour, but I had been finding it harder to maintain that pace,” he said.

“I would feel tired, sluggish, and increasingly unfit.

“There was even one occasion where I fell asleep during a meal, but I just put it down to getting older and working too hard.”

Unbeknownst to Mr Taylor, those symptoms were the result of his coronary arteries becoming narrowed by fatty material (atheroma), preventing blood from getting to the heart.

In March 2024, he underwent heart bypass surgery.

“I’d heard of bypass operations before, but I didn’t realise what a big surgery it is,” he recalled.

“The recovery was tough. Your chest hurts, and you become very conscious of every ache and pain.

“I was used to going out and running 10k, whereas now a 10-minute walk was as much as I could manage.

“It makes you realise how poorly you are and how fragile everything is.”

Over the following months, Mr Taylor joined a gym, and with the support of his cardiac rehabilitation team he built up his physical activity levels enough that by Christmas last year he was able to run the equivalent of a half-marathon.

Now, his attention has turned to a bigger challenge, the London Marathon.

Mr Taylor previously ran the event 25 years ago, but this time he will be completing the iconic 26-mile course alongside his daughter, Siobhan.

“I had never really considered doing the marathon again, but this was too good an opportunity to miss,” he admitted.

“We’re both tremendously excited to be able to run it together. It’s going to be an emotional day.”

Mr Taylor will be running the event to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

“It is fantastic to hear about Andrew’s recovery and to know that he will be running the marathon on our behalf,” said Jas Dhanda, senior events executive at the BHF.

“We’ve been at the forefront of heart attack research for more than 60 years, from developing tests to more accurately diagnose heart attacks, to finding better combinations of medicines to administer afterwards.

“With the money Andrew raises, we will be able to fund scientists to look for new breakthroughs that will give even more heart patients the best chance of survival.”

You can support Andrew’s fundraising here.