Fit Does Not Mean Safe: Nick Parkes’ Wake-Up Call for Every Masters Athlete

If you train hard, race often, and feel strong for your age, it’s easy to believe you are sorted.

Nick Parkes felt that too.

On 30 July 2023, at the GB National Open Water Championships at Rother Valley, Nick stood on the pontoon ready to race the “triple crown” (5k, 3k, 2k). No wetsuit. Great form. Recent podium overseas. In his words, he felt “invincible”.

Then the day took a turn none of us want to imagine.

“Did I win?”

Nick suffered a heart attack and cardiac arrest during the race. A paddler made a split-second decision to get out of the canoe and hold Nick above water until rescue arrived, even though Nick did not have a wetsuit and is not a small bloke.

CPR started on the pontoon and continued. Nick later learned he had been without circulation for a long period. He was later told he'd been dead for at least 20 minutes. It took a sustained resuscitation effort to stabilise him for transport.

When he came round in hospital, with a nurse shining a light in his eye, he asked the question only an athlete would ask, “Well, did I win?”

It’s funny, and it’s heartbreaking, and it tells you everything about how wired we are as endurance people.

The shock for fit people

Nick’s big frustration was the same one many listeners will feel.

How does this happen to someone who trains?

Hospital investigations showed two blocked arteries, and Nick later underwent bypass surgery. The consultant’s explanation was blunt: Nick was super fit, but his arteries had still clogged up with age-related build-up.Here’s the uncomfortable truth for every athlete over 45:

You can have a strong engine and still have problems in the fuel lines.

The real hero bit: the chain of survival

Nick is alive because people acted. Not “someone will do something”.

People did the right thing, quickly, and kept doing it.

This is the part every club, training group, pool, Park Run, tri club, cycling bunch and masters squad needs to take seriously. Seconds matter. CPR matters. Access to defibs matters.

If it happened in your lane, on your group ride, or at your local race, would people know what to do?

Battle Ready is not just about being fit. It’s about being useful when it counts.

Nick’s Top 3 Battle Ready Messages

1) Get checked

Nick’s first message is simple: go and get checked.

Start with your GP, blood tests, and basic screening. He also mentions that things can be picked up through other routes too, like routine tests and assessments, but the point is the same.

Stop assuming. Start knowing

2) Learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator

Nick’s second message is a proper call-out to anyone who trains in groups, especially cyclists.

Learn CPR and learn how to use a defibrillator, because if CPR had not been done continuously, Nick would not be here.

3) Train for life, not just your ego

Nick’s third message is about ageing, acceptance, and training smart.

You are not going to perform at 40 like you did at 20. That’s reality. The win is adapting, staying strong, and enjoying sport for what it gives you.

More strength work. More mobility. More respect for recovery. Less trying to prove you are still 25.
​A simple action list for this week

1. Book a basic health check and get your key numbers reviewed.
2. Find the nearest defibrillator at your pool, gym, track, club, workplace.
3. Do a CPR course (or refresh it).
4. Have the conversation with your training mates: what’s the plan in an emergency?
5. Train like you want to be doing this for decades: strength, sleep, stress management, and proper fuelling.

Final Wardy thought

We love to talk training: Sessions, training zones, data and the latest aero innovations

Nick’s story reminds us of the foundation underneath all of that.

Be fit, yes. But also be Battle Ready.

Want a plan that builds fitness and protects your healthspan?

If you’d like my help building a healthier lifestyle so you can focus on fitness and health at the same time, the SWAT Inner Circle is for you.

For £30 a month, you get year-round access to winter base plans, race-specific plans, and strength programmes, plus simple nutrition guidance that supports ageing well. You’ll also get weekly one-page podcast summaries (so you can quickly apply the key lessons on protein, fuelling, recovery and health checks), a monthly live group coaching call on Zoom, and direct access to me by email when you need a steer.

It’s built to help you train smarter, recover better, and protect your healthspan so you can keep doing what you love for years to come.

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Thanks for being part of the tribe — I’m here to help you stay Battle Ready! Simon