Rose Bowl – Courtesy Photo
Survivors, Local Community Take Steps to Fight Heart Disease and Stroke
The American Heart Association’s (AHA) Heart Walk on Oct. 8 at the Rose Bowl is expected to draw more than 12,000 walkers, including first timer Melissa Ziebell, a cardiac arrest survivor, and longtime Heart Walk supporter Sylvia Felix, who lost a loved one to heart disease.
Ziebell, a resident of Pasadena, is participating in the Heart Walk to celebrate her second chance at life. Last year she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, just one mile before crossing the finish line of the Paris Half Marathon. She collapsed right next to a team of volunteers who immediately performed CPR and defibrillation to get her heart beating again. Ziebell’s goal is to one day return to Paris to finish the half marathon and get back to being the sports lover that she used to be.
Felix has participated in the Heart Walk as part of the Union Bank team for 15 years in honor of her nephew RJ, who was born with a heart defect. When RJ tragically passed away in 2009 she reached out to his network of friends for their help in raising funds for the Heart Walk. That group of supporters has since expanded, and today many of its far-flung members return each year to Pasadena to fulfill their pledge to their departed friend.
Pasadena community members are invited to team up with friends and family and join Ziebell and Felix at the Heart Walk to help raise awareness and funds to build healthier lives, free of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
Sponsored nationally by Subway and locally by Union Bank, Keck Medicine of USC, Huntington Hospital and UCLA Health, the Heart Walk aims to create a culture of health by engaging community members in physical activity and heart-healthy living, while raising funds to fight heart disease and stroke.
Co-chaired by Keck Medicine of USC Chief Administrative Officer Paul Craig and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital CEO Keith Hobbs, the event includes a non-competitive 5K walk/run and a festival area featuring interactive and fun activities, health information, kids zone, entertainment, and more. Special guest Cassey Ho, a certified fitness instructor and YouTube star, will lead a lively warm up exercise.
The event opens at 8 a.m., with the welcome program starting at 9 a.m. and the 5K walk at 9:30 a.m.
Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more than 800,000 people in the US every year. On the other hand, regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for as little as 30 minutes a day, has proven health benefits, including increased energy and circulation, as well as reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. The Heart Walk inspires participants to embrace a renewed commitment to heart-healthy living through walking and other healthy habits.
For more information and to join a Heart Walk near you, visit www.HeartWalkLA.org, or contact Rachel Axelrod at (213) 291-7025 or via email at rachel.axelrod@heart.org.
