Every year on 16 October, Restart a Heart Day reminds us that anyone can save a life with CPR. This year, we're sharing the story of Roy, a marathon runner whose life was saved by our volunteers in Newport.
Roy had run marathons before, and the Newport Marathon 2026 felt no different. He'd trained with his team and eaten well. As he neared the finish line, he even remembered to take off his hat for the photo finish. He glanced at his watch and smiled – he was on for a great time.
The next thing Roy remembers is lying in a hospital bed. His wife turned to him and said: "Roy, this is the man who saved your life."
Eyes on the finish line
That man was Gaz Lloyd-Ford, a volunteer nurse with St John Ambulance Cymru.
Gaz was scanning the finish line, knowing it's a key spot for medical emergencies. He noticed a runner with his hat in his hand, smiling at his watch, and carried on watching the crowd. When he looked back moments later, Roy was on his knees.
Gaz recognised the signs of cardiac arrest straight away, and his team – trained for exactly this moment – sprang into action. Gaz gave CPR while volunteers moved Roy to the medical tent nearby, attached him to a defibrillator monitor, checked his vital signs and gave him intravenous fluids and adrenaline. Once Roy's heart was restarted, a St John paramedic ambulance crew took him to hospital.
Then our volunteers did something remarkable: they went straight back to their posts, so every other runner could finish safely.
The minute it took to get Roy from the ground into the medical tent was the minute that saved his life.
"It was smooth and everybody did what they needed to do. For our volunteers to pull together like that and then reset in seconds to ensure the safety of other people is really impressive. He's a very lucky man. It wasn't just me." – Gaz
"It could have happened to anyone"
Roy and Gaz have kept in touch since that day.
"I was feeling as fit as I'd ever been. I went into the run expecting to run a personal best. I asked Gaz what would have happened if this happened five minutes earlier. The likelihood is that I wouldn't have survived. They saved my life. It could have happened to anyone." – Roy
Roy is right. Cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere – and Resuscitation Council UK says fewer than one in 10 people survive one outside hospital. Roy's not the first runner our volunteers have helped, either: in 2025, Chris Edwards collapsed metres from the finish of the Porthcawl 10K and was saved by our volunteers' CPR and a defibrillator.
Building a Wales of lifesavers
Roy's story is one of many. Here's what our volunteers, trainers and supporters achieved together in 2025:
- 4 people brought back from cardiac arrest with help from St John People, all alive 30 days later
- 1,239 volunteers giving their time across Wales
- 1,100+ events covered by our first aiders, helping 1,165 patients
- 20,698 people learning lifesaving skills in their communities, including 4,881 taught by our volunteers
- 1,300+ pupils and staff trained in a single day at Haverfordwest High VC School for our Defibruary launch
- 12,209 people completing certified courses with our Workplace Training Team
- 650+ children and young people in our 20 Badger Setts and 30 Cadet Units – the lifesavers of the future
What you can do this Restart a Heart Day
You don't need to be a medic to save a life. Knowing how to do CPR and use a defibrillator could mean someone like Roy gets home to their family.
- Learn CPR. Book a course or find a free session near you at sjacymru.org.uk.
- Volunteer with us. Join people like Gaz and be there when it matters most.
- Support our work. The training and equipment our volunteers rely on are made possible by donations from people like you.
Together, we can make Wales a community of lifesavers.