From Kepler Challenge to life-saving surgery: Runner’s message after almost missing a deadly heart warning

Published: 20 May 2026

Callum doesn’t fit the stereotype of someone at risk of heart disease. But weeks after finishing an endurance race, he faced an urgent heart procedure.

Callum Gillespie doesn’t fit the stereotype of someone at risk of heart disease. 

He doesn’t smoke, keeps fit, eats well, and has completed several marathons and ultramarathons.  

Yet just weeks after finishing one of the most challenging endurance races in the country, he found himself undergoing urgent heart procedures that might ultimately have saved his life. 

Now, the 57-year-old is sharing his story to support the Heart Foundation’s MyMarathon campaign, encouraging New Zealanders to listen to their bodies, understand their family history, and pay attention to warning signs. 

A family history

Heart disease isn’t new to Callum’s family. Around 25 years ago, his father underwent a triple heart bypass at the age of 67, despite being physically fit, never smoking, and only rarely drinking alcohol. 

“That really stuck with me,” Callum says. “It gave me an awareness that heart disease was probably in my DNA.” 

At 45, after a calcium score test showed early signs of risk, Callum started taking statins. But like many people who feel healthy, he admits he didn’t always take it seriously. 

“I was exercising, I wasn’t overweight, I didn’t smoke. I thought I was managing things reasonably well, so I didn’t take the statins as consistently as I should.”

Easy-to-dismiss warning signs

A keen trail runner, in July Callum got a rare ticket for the Kepler Challenge, a gruelling 60km trail run over Mount Luxmore in Fiordland National Park. 

During a run in the week leading up to the event, Callum noticed a lingering chest discomfort that wouldn’t go away. 

“When you’re training for an ultra, you often experience aches and pains and you put up with them,” he said. “On this occasion, I had a mild but prolonged chest ache that I couldn’t shake off.” 

“Normally, you get to the top of a hill, catch your breath, and it passes. This didn’t. It would have lasted 45 minutes.” 

When he got home, he mentioned it to his wife, who is a GP. She swiftly urged him to see a doctor and to reconsider running the event. 

“I didn’t ignore her advice, but my ambition to complete the adventure I had been so looking forward to was very strong,” he says. 

He made a deal with himself: do the race, then get checked. 

Much to the relief of his wife, he completed the Kepler Challenge without issue, and two weeks later, he kept his promise to himself and visited his GP. 

“He told me off,” Callum laughs. “He said, ‘You’re naughty and you’re going to see a cardiologist.” 

A life-saving discovery

Tests quickly revealed the seriousness of the situation. An abnormal treadmill ECG led to an angiogram, where doctors discovered three blockages in Callum’s coronary arteries. 

He underwent two procedures and received several stents – what he light-heartedly calls “seven centimetres of new plumbing”. 

“I got an upgrade,” he says. “My dad went through a heart bypass operation with all its risks, but thankfully he’s just celebrated his 92nd birthday. Because I was alert to the warning signs, I was able to address the same issue far earlier and with less risk and impact.” 

Callum says he feels immense gratitude – for his wife’s persistence, for medical advancements, and for the healthcare teams who supported him through the process. 

Recovery, reflection and running for MyMarathon 

For Callum, being told to stop running entirely before his procedures was tough. Returning afterwards has been a careful, gradual process – starting with walking, then short intervals of running. 

He’s also made changes to his diet and now takes his medication seriously. His cholesterol levels have dropped significantly – proof, he says, that treatment and lifestyle changes really do matter. 

As he eased back into activity, Callum came across the Heart Foundation’s MyMarathon challenge, which invites people to walk, jog, or run 42km (or more) during May, at their own pace, while raising funds for life-saving heart research. 

“It was hugely motivating,” he says. “I have signed up for a distance that I can undertake at this stage in my recovery, and my wife has joined me too.” 

“Nobody wants to go through an angioplasty if they don’t have to, but the process was straightforward and probably lifesaving. I say, if there’s a family history, be inquisitive. Understand it. Ask questions,” he says. “And remember, this can happen to anyone, even if you think you’re doing all the right things.”

A message for others

Looking back, Callum knows how close he came to a very different outcome. 

“If I hadn’t gone to the GP when I did, who knows what would’ve happened,” he says. “We’re often tempted to downplay symptoms, especially if we feel fit. But chest pain is never something to ignore.” 

Callum hopes his story encourages others to listen to their bodies and not dismiss warning signals their body might be giving them. 

“I’m so grateful for the advances in medical science that have made a procedure like my angioplasty possible and so straightforward, and for the skills and compassion of the medical team that looked after me. That’s why I am running MyMarathon, so that the great work the Heart Foundation does in supporting research and training our health professionals carries on.” 

You can donate to Callum’s MyMarathon fundraiser here.