An avid gym-goer was halfway through his usual class when his heart suddenly stopped. Andrew Ward and his ‘cardiac arrest buddy’ Andy Palmer are now raising awareness for CPR
Gym manager Andy Palmer and dedicated gym enthusiast Andrew Ward have forged an unlikely friendship after both survived cardiac arrests at the gym, owing their lives to the swift actions of bystanders who administered CPR. Calling themselves the ‘cardiac arrest buddies’, the duo are determined to promote awareness for CPR training and the British Heart Foundation’s RevivR tool which can teach CPR in just 15 minutes.
Both men experienced no symptoms or warning signs before their medical emergencies and they both now share a completely transformed outlook on life. Andy told PA Real Life: “Life is fragile and it can be taken away at any point – do your best to enjoy it while you can.”
Andrew added: “It’s such a weird thing – how do you genuinely thank someone who saved your life? They literally had my life in their hands and because of everything they did, I’m now standing in front of them. Just to look him in the eyes meant the world.”
Andy’s story
35-year-old Andy Palmer was working as an assistant gym manager at a PureGym in Nuneaton on January 29, 2024. A few months earlier, an echocardiogram had revealed that Andy had an inherited heart condition causing “deficiencies and improper construction of the heart” and would likely result in him needing a pacemaker but he was waiting for an MRI to confirm this.
That morning, Andy had completed a workout at the gym before returning at 12pm for his afternoon shift. He recalled: “I had felt absolutely fine, there were no warning signs and I had no idea it was coming. About 20 minutes into my shift, I had the cardiac arrest. My memory of the day is all but completely gone.”
Andy’s colleagues began administering CPR and he was rushed to hospital. A few weeks later he was fitted with a pacemaker and eventually managed to return to work.
Andrew’s story
The national sales manager was a keen gym-goer and regularly attended early morning spin classes. It was during one of these sessions at a PureGym in Tamworth on July 7, 2025, that Andrew suddenly tumbled off his bike, although he doesn’t recall any memory of the day himself, he said: “I got halfway through the class and my heart stopped.”
Andy had been leading the class when he heard a “bang” and saw Andrew had collapsed off his bike. The gym manager acknowledged the 49-year-old had “a lot of good forces” on his side as he had fallen near an off-duty nurse and an off-duty police officer who were able to help Andy in the moment.
The instructor didn’t initially understand what was happening, but suddenly began recognising symptoms his former colleagues had described: “His face was grey and his lips were blue. Eyewitnesses from my cardiac arrest later told me my face was grey, my lips were blue – and I knew this was serious. I went into fight or flight mode as the adrenaline kicked in.”
Andy started CPR, having learnt the technique through PureGym training and the BHF’s RevivR course. The off-duty nurse was able to help use the on-site defibrillator at the gym while emergency services rushed to Andrew’s side.
After being rushed to Royal Derby Hospital in an ambulance, it was discovered that Andrew had two blockages in his arteries. He had three stents fitted, with two in one artery.
He recalled: “It did come as a shock because there were no real warning signs, I was just getting on with my day until I wasn’t.”
After Andrew’s recovery, the two men admitted seeing each other for the first time at the gym again was “emotional”. Andy said: “We spent a lot of time bonding over our trauma and talking about our experiences.”
Andrew added: “We laugh and joke about it now – one of the things we say is that we’re cardiac arrest buddies. It makes you realise how precious life is and how short it can be.
“Learn CPR, learn where defibrillator machines are in public, learn how to use them – that outcome can change someone’s life.”
