Stories

A big congratulations to our Tour of New Zealand Heart Foundation team for showing their big hearts and riding over 500kms across our beautiful country.

Cran never dreamed he could be a candidate for heart disease at 47, being physically active and healthy. But little did he know his diet was playing havoc with his cholesterol levels and his self-confessed male ego was stopping him from seeking help.

When Sunny landed his dream job, he had no idea how stressful it would become. Following a heart attack, bypass surgery and panic attacks, he’s now taken control of his life and his mental health.

After suffering a heart attack at the age of just 39, Soane’s now encouraging others to make healthier lifestyle choices and get a heart health check early.

Nothing about Phil’s symptoms were what he expected when he had a heart attack. Now he’s encouraging others to take notice of any unfamiliar symptoms and ‘If in doubt, check it out’.

When Chess suffered a heart attack in 2015, she struggled with denial and anger, but now, years later she lives life with renewed vigour.

“Our mental health is as important as our physical health.”
Following her experiences with heart disease, Tara thinks it’s important to talk to friends, family, or health professionals about how you’re feeling through your journey.

Sri Claney knows first-hand how important it is to take care of your own health, in order to have the physical and emotional energy to take care of those around you.

Jeni didn’t think she was a candidate for a heart attack. She’s always kept herself fit and healthy by doing regular walking, riding her bike, and attending weekly aerobics classes. So as an active 68-year-old, she was surprised when she had a heart attack.

Rotorua local, Wiremu Keepa, didn't know why he kept blacking out. But when it happened at the wheel, it uncovered a serious heart condition.

Heart disease is the single biggest killer of men and women in New Zealand, and it's dedicated volunteers like Miriam who are making a difference for Kiwis living with heart disease and raising life-saving funds for the Heart Foundation.

"What I was really proud of, well it wasn't really the work that I was proud of, but the amount of people that were involved in the day, just the cheering and the chanting – it was pretty cool."