Olympic champion Duncan Armstrong opens up about shock heart attack and health test every Aussie needs to know about
Aussie Olympic swimming legend Duncan Armstrong has opened up about his shock heart attack and a non-invasive health test that he wish he knew about earlier.
At 52, the former world record holder suffered a heart attack in November 2020 that turned his life upside down.
The fitness fanatic had just returned from the gym on a Tuesday afternoon when he felt pain in his stomach.
He then went to pick his kids up from school and the pain started to spread to his arm.
‘I was flicking my arm while sitting in the waiting bay of the school pick-up and I then realised I was having a heart attack,’ he told News Corp.
Armstrong called his wife and drove himself to hospital. The swimming icon only just made it in time.
Duncan Armstrong has opened up about his shock heart attack in 2020
The former world record holder says a simple CT Calcium scan could have prevented the it all
‘I turned around again, got into the hospital foyer and the last thing I remember is telling the receptionist I had chest pain before immediately collapsing and needing to be revived,’ he said.
‘It was definitely the scariest moment of my life.’
After undergoing an angiogram, Armstrong underwent a triple bypass open heart surgery the next day.
Nearly five years on from the event, Armstrong says a little known about test could have prevented it.
Armstrong says a simple CT calcium scan would have shown the calcium buildup in the walls of his heart’s arteries.
‘I didn’t even know I was ill,’ he said.
‘My cholesterol and blood pressure weren’t too bad, so I didn’t get any indication I was so close to losing the lot.
‘I never even thought to check my calcium score with a simple CT Calcium scan.
Armstrong (pictured with news presenter Natarsha Belling in 2004) was 52 and a fitness fanatic when he suffered a cardiac arrest
He is best known for his stunning victory in the 200 metre freestyle in the 1988 Seoul Olympics
‘That scan would have sent the appropriate warning to my GP and I could have taken plenty of different preventative measures to reduce my risk of heart attack.
‘As an ex-athlete I deeply understand my body, so the heart attack came as a tremendous shock in the moment.
‘If you’re reading this and you’ve never heard of CT Calcium scan then please ask your GP to get your first one,’ he said.
‘It’s non-invasive, you leave your clothes on, in any suburb, takes 20 minutes and costs about $50.
‘Healthy calcium score will be from zero to 400, and it’s the only time in your life you want to be a zero.
‘This scan could save your life.’
Armstrong is best known for his stunning victory in the 200m freestyle in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
He also claimed silver in the 400m freestyle the same year.
He was ranked 46th in the world going into the Olympics but quickly produced one of the biggest underdog wins in history.
The performance in the 200m freestyle 32 years ago was groundbreaking for Australian swimmers.
Armstrong, aged just 20 at the time, broke the world record and beat American legend Matt Biondi and Germany’s Michael Gross.
In the lead up to the race Armstrong swam 20km per day and was told by legendary swimming coach Laurie Lawrence to swim as close to Biondi all race.
The 52-year-old retired from Olympic swimming after the 1992 Barcelona Games after the Australian team was disqualified from the 4x200m event final.
In 1989 Armstrong received an Order of Australia Medal and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1993, the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame in 2009.
