Wife running in memory of rugby dad-of-three who never came home
A mum-of-three is running the 2023 TCS London Marathon in memory of her rugby player husband who died suddenly.
Jill Sims will be taking on the 26.2-mile challenge in memory of her husband, Dave, who died from a sudden heart attack in March last year just moments before he was due to meet up with his three sons.
Jill, aged 55 and from Bradninch, said: “Six months before he died, Dave had gone to his doctor. He’d woken up in the early hours of the morning with chest pains. He was perspiring too and I was worried there might have been something wrong with his heart.”
Dave went to his GP, but no cause could be found. So, when Dave’s chest pains started again, he assumed there was nothing wrong.
Jill said: “Dave didn’t complain of pain a lot. He was a rugby player so used to getting ploughed down by a team of people. For him to have mentioned it, I knew he must have been in quite a bit of pain. But he thought he was OK, so powered on.”
Dave was a rugby enthusiast and had played the game professionally from the age of 14 to 45. He made his debut for Gloucester in 1987 and played in the premiership for Exeter Chiefs and Worcester, before moving to Launceston and Taunton. He earned caps for England and the Barbarians from 1995-1999. After hanging up his boots, Dave took on coaching roles at Taunton, Wellington and Withycombe before he retired from the sport completely, turning his hand to building logistics.
On 19 March 2022, the father of three headed out to collect a van before heading to meet his boys, Nathanial, Josh and Anthony, in Bristol.
The boys called Jill to tell her their dad hadn’t arrived and when she tried his mobile phone, there was no answer.
Devastatingly, Dave had suffered a sudden heart attack which led to a cardiac arrest inside his vehicle. Despite the brave efforts of a passer-by who gave CPR, there was nothing that could be done to save Dave - and he died aged just 52.
Jill added: “We were beginning to worry. This was so unlike him. When the police knocked on my door to tell me, it was the most horrendous moment.
“A passer-by found him slumped in the driver’s seat with the engine running. They phoned for help and administered CPR, but nothing could be done.
“On the outside Dave looked fit and healthy, but sadly his post-mortem revealed he had coronary heart disease. The only comfort was knowing that it happened quickly, and he wouldn’t have been in much pain.”
Every eight minutes, someone in the UK dies from coronary heart disease. It is the most common type of heart and circulatory disease and occurs when coronary arteries become narrowed by a build-up of atheroma, a fatty material within their walls. The pain or discomfort felt from the reduction in blood flow to the heart muscle due to the narrowing is called angina and if a blockage occurs it can cause a heart attack. Tragically, in the UK, one in eight men and one in 14 women will die from the condition.
Jill, who had been married to Dave for 27 years and with him since she was 19, said: “Dave was the love of my life, the calm one to my livewire, and a gentle giant. I’ve always been super proud of him. His nickname was R Dad and if you were on his team he’d always look after you.”
She added: “I want to help raise awareness of heart and circulatory diseases. Nothing will bring Dave back but if one person reads this and books a doctor’s appointment if they experience chest pain, then his story can help save another family from heart break.”
This TCS London Marathon takes place on Sunday 23 April. Jill will be part of a team of 700 BHF runners taking on the 26.2 miles to help fund groundbreaking research into new cures and treatments for heart and circulatory conditions.
Karen McDonnell, Senior Events Manager at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “We never fail to be inspired by the incredible stories of our supporters.
“Despite her devastating loss, Jill is still lacing up her trainers to take on this epic challenge to help make a difference to those with heart and circulatory diseases and continue to make medical advancements in this area.
“Every single step our runners take will power science with the potential to beat heart and circulatory disease. We’re extremely grateful for Jill’s support and can’t wait to cheer her over the finish line.”
To help Jill reach her fundraising target, visit her JustGiving page here
