In this episode, Dave Middleton talks with Athos Rushovich, Director of Specialist Health Sales and Dedicated Distribution at Vitality, about resilience, reinvention and rebounding when faced with a life-threatening condition.
Having completed dozens of marathons and ultramarathons in his life, Athos has always been an active person. However, he was rocked in early 2021 when he was told that he needed a triple heart bypass due to a condition he believes he inherited from his father and grandfather.
In the podcast, Athos talks to me about resilience and his attitude towards it pre and post-surgery, his push to reinvent himself during his recovery and his determination to return to his former self, having run two marathons since surgery. Athos also discusses attitudes towards mental health, his own anxiety diagnosis and shares why he prioritises happiness as the most important commodity in his life.
Dave says “I found this quite a thought-provoking conversation with Athos, he really opened up and discussed some deeply personal subjects with me. For someone of Athos’ fitness levels to discover that he needed a triple heart bypass is an incredibly difficult thing to deal with. It was fascinating hearing him explain how his view on what is meant by resilience was completely changed by his diagnosis and the subsequent surgery he went through.
The fact he has run two marathons post-surgery is a testament to his determination, and he is an inspiration for anyone who is dealing with a life-threatening illness.”
We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed putting this together to share with you.
Listen to Talking Health & Wellbeing here.
