Jenny Simpson, the world champion runner, disclosed that a rare heart condition led to her cardiac arrest during a race in June, confirming that she will not be returning to competitive running.
In a post on Instagram Thursday, the 39-year-old athlete shared her diagnosis of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a condition that resulted in “dangerous heart rhythms that ultimately caused my heart to stop.”
She explained that this diagnosis makes it unsafe for her to resume running.
“That chapter has come to a close,” she stated. “Fortunately, my story continues.”
Simpson collapsed while pacing a group of girls during a mile run at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina. She received CPR on-site, and an automated external defibrillator was utilized before paramedics transported her to the hospital.
“You might be curious about the appropriate thing to say to me after such an incident,” she wrote. “Please don’t express your sorrow or pity for me. If it resonates with you, please let me know you’re happy that I’m still here. That’s how I feel — incredibly grateful to still be here.”
From 2007 onward for about ten years, Simpson was recognized as America’s top women’s 1,500-meter runner. She secured the world title in 2011, finished as a runner-up twice, and earned an Olympic bronze medal in Rio in 2016.