Cardiac arrest survivor from Peterborough will compete in race to fundraise for a new defibrillator

Mark Silva, 49, credits the heart-shocking device, and the actions of RAF medical staff, with saving his life on that fateful day.

It was a chilly November in 2021 and Mark was out running around RAF Wittering airfield when he began feeling mild chest pain.

"I was 45 at the time and had an active life completing the Peterborough marathon only six months before,” Mark explains.

“I started feeling some mild chest pain, like a dull ache, which gradually got worse.”

Mark eventually passed out, and thanks to an on-site defibrillator and the quick response of Tac Med Wing and RAF Wittering medical staff, his life was saved.

"The team knew I was going to die without help, so I was very lucky the defibrillator brought me back within a minute. It was a shock I will never forget,” he laughed.

Mark, who has served in the RAF as an engineer for 27 years, has since had two surgeries to fit an internal pace-maker and defibrillator.

“I was told in hospital that my life was going to change drastically, and I would be lying if I said it hasn’t - but I am still very lucky,” he said.

Now, as a way to give back, Mark is hoping to raise £1,000 to purchase a new defibrillator that could help save someone else’s life in a moment of need.

He is planning to tackle thehalf marathon at the Peterborough Running Festival in Nene Park, on June 29, and is looking for sponsors.

“I have been training for about six months as lowering my heart rate and increasing fitness is key to me completing the half marathon,” he explained.

“I will randomly draw a name from all those who sponsor me and they can choose the location of the defibrillator – where hopefully it will help someone else in the same manner I was gifted.”

To sponsor Mark, visit his GoFundMe page.