Five years ago this week, I experienced a sudden cardiac arrest after being out for a 5km run with the kids during Victoria’s COVID lockdowns. It’s surreal to think that half a decade has passed since that moment.

This morning after celebrating Coburg parkrun’s tenth anniversary, I read a news article calling to mandate publicly accessible defibrillators. I find it very confronting reading such stories, knowing that effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation saved my life and to know that we don’t have easy access to defibrillators in many venues.

In the case of a sudden cardiac arrest, for every minute defibrillation is delayed the casualty’s chance of survival drops by 10%. Calling emergency services for help and knowing how to perform CPR are equally critical.

This is why, to celebrate five years of “bonus time”, as I have come to call it, I have bought a CellAED to keep in the glovebox of my car. I come fitted with my own Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (S-ICD) these days, but I cannot share this if one of my friends or family needs help. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are very easy to use and provide audible instructions.

Today, I encourage each of you to think about where your nearest defibrillator is and whether you should keep one closer to home.