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Running with a mission
February 8, 2012
For many people, the thought of running one marathon (26.2 miles) sounds daunting. Greg Goebel, however, has a very different mindset—his goal is to finish a marathon in all 50 United States.
Having run almost 60 marathons during the last five years, one indoor marathon forced him to reevaluate his ambitious goal, just five states short.
In January 2011, during the “Zoom! Yah! Yah!” Indoor Marathon at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, Greg collapsed on the track, having gone into cardiac arrest. As luck would have it, a physician was trailing just 100 yards behind him and immediately came to his aid, administering CPR. After resuscitation, Greg was airlifted to the Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.
Collaborating for life
The Level One and Cool It programs, developed by researchers at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, allowed Greg to safely arrive at the hospital and receive streamlined cardiac treatment.
The Level One heart attack protocol involves a high level of collaboration among emergency responders, community hospitals and the Minneapolis Heart Institute® at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. The program has set national standards for responding to cardiovascular emergencies, ensuring efficient and effective care, and has cut mortality rates for heart attack patients by 50 percent.
The Cool-It program utilizes therapeutic hypothermia to cool a patient’s core body temperature and brain, greatly reducing the risk of neurological damage. The survival rate of cardiac arrest patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia is significantly higher than without the treatment.
These clinical innovations allowed Greg to recover from his heart episode with minimal damage and finish the same marathon… one year, five hours and 18 minutes later.
“Today is my birthday… my re-birthday,” Greg said, after finishing the 2012 “Zoom! Yah! Yah!” Indoor Marathon on January 8, 2012.
Giving back
Greg’s cardiac event and the resulting care he received, from the moment he lost consciousness, have propelled him to spread the message about the importance of cardiovascular research and AEDs (automated external defibrillators) at marathon sites.
“I had an ICD implanted two weeks after collapsing and I was running two weeks later!” Greg proclaimed. “If it weren’t for the processes developed by the Foundation’s research, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Because the cause of his heart attack is unknown, Greg chooses to forgo swimming due to the risks associated with the additional variables. He laughs, “So, I guess I can’t do an Ironman!” With almost sixty marathons currently under his belt, and only four races to complete before he reaches his goal, he has already created quite a splash.
“I’m not the inspiring one, it’s all of the people who helped keep me live. My obligation now is to share with others.”
Keep an eye out for Greg this fall in the 2012 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.
