Olympic Runner Jenny Simpson Survives Cardiac Arrest

Jenny Simpson spent nearly two decades running at the highest level, winning Olympic medals and world championships. On June 16, her heart stopped during a race in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bystanders immediately performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator, keeping the 39-year-old alive until paramedics arrived. Her heart stopped again at the hospital, forcing doctors to place her on life support before transferring her to Duke Hospital.

"My body was dying, but my spirit wouldn't give up," Simpson wrote in an Instagram post this week. Her heart was initially too weak to pump blood effectively, causing her lungs to fill with fluid.

Then something remarkable happened. Within days, her heart and lungs recovered enough to work on their own.

Doctors eventually diagnosed Simpson with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a rare heart disease that causes dangerous irregular rhythms. The diagnosis came with difficult news: running is no longer safe for her.

For most athletes, that would mean the end of a chapter. For Simpson, it means saying goodbye to the sport that defined her adult life in ways few can imagine.

She competed in three consecutive Olympics starting in 2008. She won gold at the 2011 World Championships and captured Olympic bronze in Rio in 2016.

After retiring from professional competition earlier this year, Simpson stayed connected to running through her work as chief running officer at Fleet Feet. She planned to keep running for joy, community, and purpose.

Why This Inspires

Simpson could have focused on everything she lost. Instead, she's celebrating what she gained.

"I'm profoundly grateful that I got to have the career I did," she wrote. "I experienced everything from the trenches of training to standing on the top of the podium while our national anthem filled the stadium."

She plans to continue supporting runners through Fleet Feet, helping others discover the confidence, connection, and joy the sport can bring. But perhaps her most powerful message came in the form of a request.

"Please do not say that you're sorry or that you feel bad for me," Simpson wrote. "If it is true in your heart, please tell me you're glad that I'm here."

Simpson is now recovering at home in Colorado while continuing treatment at Duke. Many questions about her long-term recovery remain unanswered.

"I'm not afraid of what comes next because I know I'm not alone."