'Thanks to running, my heart defect was found'

A PLYMPTON man is to take on a marathon three years after training for one led to his heart defect diagnosis.

- KIRSTIE McCRUM

Scott Smith, from Plympton, was amid preparations for the 26.2-mile challenge of the Manchester Marathon when he started to feel a sharp pain in the side of his chest.

“I’d never felt anything like that before,” recalls Scott. “I’ve always been a keen runner.

“I’d previously run a marathon and done plenty of 10K events, so I knew how my body reacts. I rested for a couple of days and then went for another run, but I felt that sharp pain again and that’s when I thought something really wasn’t right.”

The 37-year-old who works as a manager for a telecommunications company spoke to his GP who initially recommended painkillers and an extended period of rest. But every time that Scott resumed training the pain kept recurring.

This prompted the GP to refer Scott for a series of tests including an ECG and an MRI scan. “I’d had the tests but hadn’t heard anything back, so I assumed that no news was good news,” said Scott.