Ben McDonald was just 25 years old when he suffered a cardiac arrest after completing the Cardiff Half Marathon on 7 October 2018.
Originally from the Vale of Glamorgan, Ben was fit, healthy and full of life. It was his first Cardiff Half Marathon, and he had taken on the challenge with typical positivity, running alongside his girlfriend Amy, his brothers Steve and Andrew, his brother-in-law Paddy and sisters-in-law Kate and Alix. His parents, Ruth and Paul, and sister Vicki were also there supporting him from the side of the course.
Ben’s family described him as “funny, generous, caring, effortlessly cool, adventurous and always smiling” – an incredible son, brother, uncle, grandson and friend. “If you didn’t have the chance to meet him then you missed out on someone really special,” they said.
Ben had worked at Cardiff White Water Centre from the age of 16, was a qualified teacher, and loved the outdoors. He was a keen bodyboarder, snowboarder and kayaker, with a natural sense of adventure and energy that those closest to him will never forget.
In the months after Ben’s death, his family chose to support Calon Hearts because they believed in the charity’s work to provide heart screening. They also said Ben was “so proud to be Welsh”. The Ben McDonald Heart Screening Fund now helps provide fully funded heart screenings for young people, helping to identify hidden heart conditions and give more families the chance to act before tragedy strikes.
In May 2019, Ben’s family held The BenJam festival, featuring local bands and Welsh singer Charlotte Church, to raise vital funds for the screening fund.
Today, Ben’s legacy lives on through every screening delivered in his memory. Through heart screening, CPR training and improving access to defibrillators, Calon Hearts is working to help save lives and spare more families the heartbreak Ben’s loved ones have experienced.
To find out more about heart screening, CPR training or supporting the work of Calon Hearts, visit the Calon Hearts website at calonhearts.org
