World champion runner Jenny Simpson recently disclosed that a rare heart condition led to her experiencing cardiac arrest during a race in June, leading her to announce her retirement from professional running. In a social media post, the 39-year-old athlete shared that she has been diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a condition that resulted in dangerous heart rhythms causing her heart to stop. Due to this diagnosis, Simpson emphasized that it would be risky for her to resume her running career.
Simpson collapsed while pacing a group of young runners during a mile race in Raleigh, North Carolina, and received immediate CPR and defibrillation before being transported to the hospital. Reflecting on the incident, she expressed gratitude for still being alive and requested well-wishers to focus on their joy at her survival rather than offering sympathy.
Having been a prominent figure in women’s 1,500-meter running for nearly a decade starting in 2007, Simpson achieved significant success, including winning world championships in 2011, securing two second-place finishes, and earning a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.