Wisbech father to take on half marathon after lifesaving heart surgery

Andrew Harnwell, 49, is running to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), whose research he credits with saving his life.

Andrew was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 2018 — a condition where the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively.

His diagnosis followed a gym session in 2017 that left him experiencing unusual fatigue and a dangerously high heart rate.

“I’d had a stressful day at work and went to the gym which was the way I liked to let off steam,” said Andrew, who works as a manager for Sonocco a metal packaging firm, “I did some weights and cross training, but when I got on the treadmill, I just couldn’t get going.

“I thought I was tired and went home. But the next morning, I kept getting alerts from my smartwatch showing that my heart rate was over 120 beats per minute. That’s when I knew something wasn’t right.”

Andrew visited A&E, which sparked a year of tests that eventually led to his diagnosis.

“At first, I approached it like a problem to solve,” said Andrew. “I’m an engineer by training, so I was relieved when they finally found the cause. It made sense — I could understand it.”

But as the reality of living with a heart condition sank in, Andrew began to reflect more deeply.

“It took a while to process. I kept thinking, why me? I’d always looked after myself — played football for years, went to the gym, played squash. I thought I was doing everything right. It just didn’t seem fair.”

For several years, Andrew managed his condition with medication, exercise and lifestyle changes. But in 2021, his heart began to deteriorate, and surgery became the only option. In May 2022, he underwent a complex procedure to remove a sliver of thickened heart muscle from one of the chambers of his heart.

“The operation was a success, but recovery took time,” said Andrew. “Being able to get back to exercise was a godsend - physically and mentally. Without the BHF’s research, I might not be here today preparing to run a half marathon.”

Andrew will be joined on race day by his 24-year-old daughter Lily, who lives in Poole. The pair regularly take part in Parkrun events together, and Andrew jokes that he hopes to “leave her in his dust” as he aims to finish in under two hours.

Now focused on staying healthy and enjoying life, Andrew says he’s determined to make the most of the years ahead. “It would feel unfair to have life cut short — and without the BHF, that could have been my reality.”

Andrew continues to have annual check-ups to monitor his heart. Around 1 in 500 people in the UK are affected by HCM. The BHF is currently funding a major research programme called CureHeart, which aims to develop the first gene therapy for inherited heart muscle conditions like HCM.

Stevie O’Connor, Events Executive at the BHF, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Andrew for sharing his story and taking on this challenge to support our lifesaving work.

“The progress that we’ve made towards finding a cure for HCM has only been possible thanks to the incredible efforts of people like Andrew who enable us to fund these crucial research projects.”

People can donate to Andrew’s fundraising online: justgiving.com/page/andrew-harnwell-1