When fitness isn’t enough: why every athlete should learn CPR

Cardiac arrest does not make appointments. It can happen on an ordinary Saturday morning run, at the end of a bike ride, or in the quiet of your own home – and in those moments, what the people nearby do in the first few minutes can be the difference between life and death. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a simple set of actions that keeps blood and oxygen moving around the body when the heart suddenly stops, buying precious time until an ambulance and defibrillator arrive.

In a short space of time, I learnt just how fragile that line is. A running buddy collapsed from sudden coronary failure at the end of a run. I was not there, but the rest of my local running club was. Among them, were three athletes (one of them from WIT) who also happened to be nurses stepped forward and began CPR, working on his chest until the paramedics took over.

Most cardiac arrests outside hospital happen in everyday places, and often the first person on the scene is not a doctor but a friend, teammate, or passer-by. When someone collapses and stops breathing normally, calling 999 and starting chest compressions straight away can double or even triple their chance of survival, yet many of us still feel unprepared or afraid of “doing it wrong”. This blog post is an attempt to close that gap and share why learning CPR matters so deeply, what those first vital steps look like as explained by Resuscitation Council UK, and how each of us can be ready to act when a heartbeat suddenly falls silent.

We owe it to the people we train with, worship with, live with and love to be that person – the one who does not freeze, but acts. Learning CPR will not erase the grief of those we lose, but it can offer something powerful in its shadow: the chance that one day we will be able to keep another heartbeat going until help arrives.

Here is a step-by-step outline of adult CPR that reflects current Resuscitation Council UK style guidance. It is intended for general awareness only and does not replace formal first aid training:

1. Check for danger and response

• Make sure the area is safe for you and the collapsed person.

• Gently shake their shoulders and shout: “Are you alright?”

• If they do not respond, they are unresponsive.

2. Call 999 and get an AED

• If they are not breathing normally, call 999 immediately (or shout for someone to do it).

• Ask someone to fetch an AED (defibrillator) if one is available nearby. Usually the rescuer on the phone will tell if and where the nearest AED is, something important here is to follow the instructions given over the phone, because sometimes people go away to find the AED and stop chest compressions

• Put your phone on speaker so you can talk to the call handler while you start CPR.

3. Open airway and check breathing

• Turn them onto their back if they are not already.

• Place one hand on their forehead and gently tilt the head back, lift the chin with two fingers.

• Look, listen and feel for normal breathing for up to 10 seconds (chest movement, normal breaths).

• Occasional gasps or snorts (agonal breathing) should be treated as not breathing normally.

4. Start chest compressions (hands-only CPR)

• Kneel beside the chest.

• Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest (lower half of the breastbone); place your other hand on top and interlock your fingers.

• Keep your arms straight, position your shoulders directly over your hands.

• Press down firmly 5–6 cm, then let the chest come all the way back up without taking your hands off.

• Aim for 100–120 compressions per minute (about 2 per second).

• Continue without stopping until help arrives, an AED is ready to use, you are too exhausted to continue, or the person shows signs of life.

5. CPR with rescue breaths (only if trained and willing)

• Give 30 chest compressions as above.

• Open the airway (head tilt, chin lift).

• Pinch the nose closed, seal your mouth around theirs and give 1 steady breath over about 1 second, watching for the chest to rise.

• Give 2 breaths in total, then go straight back to 30 compressions.

• Continue cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives, an AED is ready, you are exhausted, or they show signs of life.

6. Using an AED

• Switch the AED on as soon as it arrives and follow the voice prompts.

• Expose the chest, attach the pads exactly as shown on the diagrams on the pads.

• Make sure no one is touching the person while the AED analyses the heart rhythm or gives a shock.

• Resume chest compressions immediately when the AED tells you to.

7. Do not stop too early

• Keep going with CPR and following the AED prompts until:

  • Emergency services take over,

  • The person starts to wake, move, or breathe normally, or

  • You are physically unable to continue.

Note that this sequence is for adults only and it is the current guidance for the UK: https://www.resus.org.uk/public-resource/how-do-cpr. For the US guidelines, please refer to https://acls.net/chest-compressions. If you’re reading this from elsewhere in the world, be sure to follow the local guidelines.

To help you move from awareness to action, we highly recommend visiting RevivR by the British Heart Foundation. This free, interactive tool allows you to practice the correct depth and rhythm of chest compressions using just your phone and a cushion, and even lets you practice making a mock 999 call so you know exactly what to say in an emergency. By taking a few minutes to train now, you ensure that if the moment ever comes, you won't be the person who freezes. You'll be the one who acts to keep a heartbeat going.