RAPID STORIES - ROWAN
“You’ve got to be prepared to fight for the things you want in life. If you want it enough, you’ll go out and get it.”
In his late thirties, RAPID Pro Coach and elite athlete Rowan Elliott suffered a massive heart attack that left him clinically dead for 7 minutes. He describes how determination and focus can help overcome any obstacle on the path to achieving your goals - even if that obstacle is death!
Tell us a bit about your background and what happened
I was a competitive cyclist for 12 years and had achieved two silver medals in World Masters, one for the 1 kilometer race and one for the team sprint race. I was in my late 30’s, married, with a young daughter. Everything was fantastic in my life, when suddenly, at the peak of my fitness, I collapsed playing football. I had suffered a severe cardiac arrest as a result of a blockage in 2 major arteries. I was clinically dead for seven minutes but luckily, an advanced paramedic was on hand to give CPR until a defibrillator arrived - without that I wouldn’t have come back.
‘I had to switch off that part of my mind that tells me, “you can’t do this”’
Tell us about your journey to recovery.
My rehabilitation started in hospital 2 years ago. At that stage the doctors wouldn’t let me take my heartbeat over 130 beats per minute. When I was competing in sprint races I was touching 205 bpm and in the longer races, I’d average 150-160 bpm for 3 hours at a time. I knew that if I wanted to get back to competition racing, I had to fight back. I had to switch off that part of my mind that tells me ‘you can’t do this’ and begin the long, slow process of building my heartbeat - 5 beats at a time.
Are you back to full fitness now?
Almost. The endurance isn’t fully back yet - but I’m pushing on with it as hard as I can. I will get there. I’m working hard to prepare for the World Masters is in France in 2 years. That’s my goal and I want to make it happen.
Do you think having an elite athlete’s mindset helped your recovery?
Definitely. All great achievements need mental strength. The strength to overcome self-doubt, to push through barriers, to get outside your comfort zone, to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. I refuse to be stopped and refuse to let anything slow me down. I’m driven to achieve my goals. And I’m driven to set an example to my daughter. I want her to know that she can achieve anything she wants to. But you’ve got to be prepared to fight for the things you want in life. You need the determination to be the best you can be, and the drive to do the things you need to do to get you there. When you fail - you always have to find a solution so you can keep going. If you have that, you can achieve anything you want.
Can you sum up your final thoughts on achievement?
Anyone can do anything they set their mind to. If they want it enough, they’ll go and get it.
