Aortic Athletes conducts YouTube interviews with a variety of people living with aortic disease and exercising. The people interviewed here have been able to return to endurance events but only after close consultation with their medical team and based on their individual diagnosis of aortic disease. For many people starting their journey with aortic disease, exercise begins with regular walking.
Torbjørn Sindballe is a two time International Triathlon Union Long Distance World Champion. He poignantly discusses his journey from competition, diagnosis, adaptation, extended watch and wait, to his recent open heart surgical repair.
Carmen David discusses her journey back to exercise after enduring a complicated Type B aortic dissection following childbirth. Since her dissection, Carmen has completed a marathon, continues to train and raises money for aortic research from her annual 5K/10K event she founded "Run for Aortic Health."
Brian Morel had been an endurance athlete for twenty-plus years, competing in races of all distances. Then in 2020, he was diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm and in 2022 had open heart surgery to repair the aneurysm. After careful training and collaboration with his medical team, he ran his first marathon post-open heart surgery at the 2024 New York Marathon, as part of The John Ritter Foundation's "Team Ritter."