World champion middle‑distance runner Jenny Simpson announced on Instagram that she has been diagnosed with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a rare heart condition that caused her heart to stop during a race in June.

Medical details and decision

ARVC triggers dangerous heart rhythms that can lead to cardiac arrest. Simpson said doctors warned that returning to competitive running would put her life at risk, prompting her to end her running career. “That chapter has ended,” she wrote, adding that she is grateful to be alive.

Incident at the race

Simpson was pacing a group of girls in a mile run at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina, when she collapsed. Track personnel performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator before emergency responders transported her to a hospital.

Career highlights

Over a decade, Simpson became America’s most successful women’s 1,500‑meter runner. She captured the world title in 2011, earned two additional silver medals at the World Championships, and won an Olympic bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Message to supporters

In her post, Simpson asked friends and fans not to express sympathy but to share gratitude that she is still alive. “If it is true in your heart, please tell me you’re glad that I’m here,” she wrote.

Simpson’s story highlights the importance of cardiac screening for athletes and underscores the personal challenges faced when a health condition ends a celebrated sports career.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.