Former marathon man Sean Doyle is just back from the United States where he joined athletes from across the globe who haven’t let health problems prevent them from running.
Sean, who suffered a massive cardiac arrest ahead of Huddersfield Park Run at Greenhead Park in 2013, has just come back from Minnesota where he took part in a 10-mile run organised by medical device company Medtronic.
He rubbed shoulders with 20 other Medtronic ‘global champions’ from countries including Iceland, Sweden, China and Mexico.
Sean, who is 50 this month and from Brockholes, was invited to the States because he had a Medtronic stent fitted in a blocked artery near his heart.
He described the four-night stay in Saint Paul, Minnesota, as an uplifting experience.
“We stayed in a hotel on the banks of the Mississippi and met other ‘global champions’ who have overcome illnesses and carried on with their lives.
“We were treated like rock stars. We received a glass trophy and had our photographs taken during the 10-mile run. I finished the 10 miles in one hour and 14 minutes. I came second out of those with medical conditions and was 642nd out of 10,416 runners.
“It was really brilliant to visit Medtronic headquarters and meet the CEO.”
Sean, a big Huddersfield Town fan, went on the trip with wife Helen and their children Oliver, 13, and Katie, 17.
“The experience was out of this world,” he added.
Back in 2013 Sean suffered a double cardiac arrest and was given just a 6% chance of survival. He has since given up marathons but still runs regularly.
