Winning a race to save a life
SA MASTERS Athletics president George White suffered a heart attack that nearly killed him after a race this month. Masters association sports medicine trainer Shirley Wright helped revive him.
SA MASTERS Athletics president George White had just finished a 1000m race walk when he suffered a heart attack that nearly killed him.
The 72-year-old athlete does not remember much of that day last month at SA Athletics Stadium.
One thing White, of Blackwood, does recall is how grateful he felt for the efforts of masters association sports medicine trainer Shirley Wright after waking up in hospital.
Wright performed CPR on White 16 times to help revive him.
“She was the one that basically kept me alive until the paramedics arrived,” White says.
“I finished the race then went over to take my duties as starter for the rest of the events and went down to start the 60m sprints (as a race official).
“I apparently started one without any problems and lined up the competitors for the second event, put my gun in the air and then keeled over.”
White has had a stent put in one of his arteries and has a bruised chest but is on the mend and hopeful of returning to competition next year.
“It was a bit scary for my wife and she didn’t know what to do, so left it to the professionals and they did a great job,” he says.
Wright, who has worked with the SA Masters Athletics Association for 13 years, says adrenaline took over but the image of White during the ordeal still frightens her.
“He wasn’t breathing, his eyes were open and dilated and that’s something you don’t forget,” Wright, of Lockleys, says.
“He didn’t come to and was completely out of it when the ambulance got there.
“They (ambulance officers) had to zap him four times and it took quite a long time for them to stabilise George to shift him to hospital.”
Wright says White rang her four days later, sent her two emails and went to the track last week to give her a big thank you hug.
“We’ve had an exceptionally happy ending,” she says.