Surviving a Heart Transplant: CRAZY Side Effects & Running Half Marathons After Surgery

Jack Church is not a well-known guy. But that is part of what I love about this podcast community we have created.

We can meet cool people and share the incredible stories of Kiwis that you may otherwise never hear about.

And Jack Church most definitely ticks those boxes.

Quick backstory- 4 years ago Jack was working as a personal trainer for the Royal NZ navy when he got unwell. He went from being supremely fit to being barely able to walk.

A series of tests discovered an issue with his heart which would require a heart transplant operation to save his life.

Just 10 days after being placed on the transplant list, he received a donor heart and underwent a successful transplant at the age of 25.

What happens next is hard to put into words- It’s special, Beautiful, significant, poignant and bloody sad. Jacks transplant came at the expense of a 19-year-old whose life was tragically cut short.

This is a small part of the Jack Church story.

+ His journey into sickness then back to full health

+ The realities of recovering from a heart transplant

+ How he managed to complete a half marathon 7 months after his transplant

+ How a story about Jack in the NZ Herald lead him to his heart donors’ parents.

+ Representing NZ as a sprinter at the Invictus games in Germany.

+ His desire to live a life that honours his donor’s memory and so much more.

Jack’s whole community has been inspired by his journey, and I know you will feel the same way too.

Email: [email protected]

IG: DomharveyNZ

Chapters

00:00 Who is Jack Church? 06:23 Seeking Medical Help: The Diagnosis 12:02 Understanding Organ Transplantation 25:55 The Surgery Experience 41:00 Rebuilding Strength and Resilience 47:56 Running Towards Recovery 01:00:44 The Invictus Games Experience 01:08:59 Lessons Learned and Future Goals