This year’s Community Heart Starters charity campaign was inspired by the remarkable story of Steve Ruffell, whose life was saved last year at his local gym thanks to the swift actions of gym owner Gareth Preston and his team, who used a defibrillator to revive him. Here is Steve’s story.

In April last year, Steve, a regular at his Monday morning gym sessions and someone who generally led a healthy lifestyle, suffered a severe heart attack while at Aptitude Health and Fitness in Cheshire – an event that would change his life forever.

In the days leading up to the incident, Steve, a father and business director, had been battling what he thought was a bad cold and had stayed away from the gym. However, by Sunday, he said he felt better and decided to return to his usual Monday morning workout. While at the gym, Steve didn’t feel quite right and after much contemplation, he decided it was best to stop training, to leave and return home. It was in the car that his condition worsened, and luckily, he did not drive away. Starting to realise how serious it was, Steve managed to crawl back in to the gym. After this, he remembers being in severe distress and simply at the mercy of the gym team for support.

Upon seeing Steve in the reception, gym owner Gareth Preston immediately recognised the signs of a heart attack and, along with his team, immediately used the gym’s defibrillator to administer shocks and subsequent CPR while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Fortunately, Aptitude Health and Fitness was equipped with a defibrillator – at the time, to their knowledge, it was the only gym in Chester to have one. The ambulance arrived shortly after, and additional shocks were given before Steve was airlifted to the Glan Clywd hospital in North Wales. Surgeons there discovered a serious blood clot blocking his left artery, which had caused the heart attack and subsequent multiple cardiac arrests that morning.

In total, Steve received ten shocks from defibrillators – one from Gareth and the rest from the emergency land and air services. Doctors later told him that if he hadn’t been fit and healthy, he likely wouldn’t have been able to hold on and survive so many shocks.

Now fully recovered, though requiring medication for the rest of his life, Steve reflects on that Monday morning and the choices he made. If he had stayed home, gone to any other local gym that day, or drove away instead of returning for help, he wouldn’t be here today to share his story.

Steve credits the gym for saving his life in two ways. First, Gareth and his team acted quickly to initiate the defibrillator and perform CPR. He praises Gareth for showing the professional responsibility of investing in a defibrillator, even though it wasn’t a legal requirement, and having the courage to handle the emergency. Second, the gym and regular training had likely kept him strong enough to endure the shocks that ultimately saved his life.

In the months following his recovery, doctors warned Steve that once the adrenaline wore off, he would experience a range of emotions. They were right. Diagnosed with PTSD, Steve began to suffer from panic attacks and anxiety between weeks 10 and 16 after his heart attack. He found himself apprehensive about returning to the gym and discussing his experience.

Gareth, too, has had to battle with strong emotions in the aftermath. As a teenager, he witnessed his father survive a heart attack—an event that left a lasting impact. This was the second harrowing heart-related emergency he had faced, making the experience with Steve all the more challenging for him emotionally.

Fortunately, with ongoing support from Gareth, Steve was able to make a slow and steady supervised return to the gym. Through a lot of personal soul-searching and mental training, both Steve and Gareth are now in a strong position—physically, mentally, and emotionally. They are determined to use their experiences to help others. This determination is why they are supporting STA’s Community Heart STArters campaign and personally advocating for every sport and leisure setting to have a defibrillator on-site.

To this day, doctors cannot pinpoint the exact cause of Steve’s heart attack. Despite his age and healthy lifestyle at the time, the investigation is ongoing. Steve believes it was likely the result of several factors combining into a perfect storm. Prior illness, daily life stresses, and work pressures may have played a role. Reflecting on his experience, Steve shares, “I thought I was invincible and just cracked on regardless in most situations. What I’ve learned is that just because you look healthy on the outside and go to the gym, it doesn’t mean everything is fine inside. You never truly know what’s going on in your body unless you’ve been tested thoroughly—so never assume, and always listen to your body. And if you work in an environment that has a duty of care for others, be prepared.”