Man's charity run on anniversary of heart attack (From The Argus)

Man's charity run on anniversary of heart attack

1:00pm Saturday 15th September 2012 in News

A schoolteacher is today runing three miles for charity a year to the day he suffered a heart attack.
 

Philip Edkins's life was saved by a quick thinking police officer when he collapsed at Bexhill High School.
 

PC Sarah Ellis, the school's police liaison officer, carried out CPR on him until paramedics arrived.
 

He was then airlifted to hospital by the Sussex Air Ambulance and has gone on to make a full recovery.
 

Mr Edkins, 44, who lives in Worthing, is now doing the run to raise money for the air ambulance but is doing three miles instead of the five he originally planned.
 

He said: “It is very small scale. There are only three of us running on the day - myself, girlfriend and sister - and about eight other family members walking.
 

“I have had to scale things back after I have been ill in the summer and my doctor advised I don't push things.
 

“I started exercising in April and could only run for one minute at a time. I had to build up my time and distance.
 

“It has been hard and taken real determination. I have never found running easy, I am slow but I get there in the end.”
 

Mr Edkins will be running from the far west end of West Parade in Worthing to the Pier and back.
 

PC Ellis's actions were recognised at the East Sussex Divisional Awards Ceremony held in Uckfield earlier this year.