Our Friend Oli

It’s hard to explain exactly how difficult it was to process this information - it just didn’t seem real or even possible that something like this could happen to a young, fit guy... to our friend.

Following lots of frantic phone calls, we gradually pieced together what had happened. Oli had been out on his bike when he suddenly swerved off the road onto the verge. A motorist behind stopped to help but quickly realised something was terribly wrong, the air ambulance was sent, but tragically nothing could be done to save Oli’s life.

We would find out much later from the pathologists report that he had suffered a heart attack, but that unbelievably it wasn’t his first.

This news was hard to take and made us think about what we, his closest friends might have missed, could we have done more to keep a check on each other.

So...

We're challenging ourselves to collectively cover 1,500 miles on foot, bike, swim, row or any other means of exercise to raise awareness amongst groups of friends like us about the signs and symptoms of heart attacks and how sometimes it’s worth getting an expert opinion or two, even if you think it’s nothing. 

We are also raising money for the Magpas Air Ambulance and Nelsons Journey, which supports children and young people in Norfolk who have experienced the death of a significant person... Oli sadly leaves behind his stepson Ryan 18 and daughter Ella 9.

Since Oli’s tragic death and us telling everyone we can about his circumstances, one friend has been to the doctors for a check-up and is now awaiting a specialist appointment after experiencing chest tightness following a run. And one of our parents actually experienced a heart attack and whose symptoms may well have been missed if it wasn’t for Oli. Thankfully he is now on the mend.

If you feel like you can share this page then that would be amazing. If you feel like you can share this page and donate that would be even better.

Our target is to cover 1500 miles in the month of May between five of us (roughly 10 miles a day each) which is no mean feat especially as we all lead busy lives. But hopefully, we’ll raise awareness, money for great causes and our fitness levels, which is what this is all about.

Keep track of our progress, or lack of here: www.1500milesformitch.co.uk

To Oli Mitchell, our friend.

Ben Kemp
James Glass
Ben Ross
Kris Hunt
Ben Norton

From the NHS website: Symptoms of a heart attack can include:

• Chest Pain – the chest can feel like it's being pressed or squeezed by a heavy object, and pain can radiate from the chest to the jaw, neck, arms and back.

• Shortness of Breath - feeling weak or lightheaded, or both. An overwhelming feeling of anxiety.

It's important to know that not everyone experiences severe chest pain. This is particularly the case with many women. The pain can often be mild and mistaken for indigestion.

It's the combination of symptoms that's important in determining whether a person is having a heart attack and not the severity of chest pain.

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