UPDATE | June 26 — Fleet Feet says that Jenny Simpson has been discharged from Duke University Hospital to continue her recovery in North Carolina.
The company's statements continues:
"During the event, Jenny suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and received immediate lifesaving care, including CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), before being transported to UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh. She was later transferred to Duke University Hospital.
For the time being, Jenny will remain in North Carolina with her husband, Jason, and their two pups, where her focus will be on rest and healing.
Jenny and her family are deeply grateful to the first responders, the medical teams at UNC Rex Hospital and Duke University Hospital, and everyone who has cared for her over the past nine days. Their skill, compassion and extraordinary care have meant more than words can express.
Jenny is sincerely grateful for the countless messages, prayers, encouragement and acts of kindness she has received from friends, colleagues, competitors and runners around the world, and she looks forward to connecting with the community in time.
Fleet Feet thanks everyone who has kept Jenny and her family in their thoughts and asks that their privacy continues to be honored throughout her recovery."
...
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Olympic 1,500-meter bronze medalist and world champion Jenny Simpson remains under medical care as of June 18 but shows “encouraging improvement" after collapsing while pacing a mile group at an event in Raleigh last week.
Simpson ran for the University of Colorado Boulder.
In a post on Instagram, Fleet Feet, the company where Simpson serves as its chief running officer, wrote she “continues to exhibit the strength and resilience that have long defined her. True to form, she has already asked about her mile time and whether she won.”
The 39-year-old Simpson underwent CPR at the track on June 16 and an automated external defibrillator was also used before being transported to the hospital. She was taking part in a community track event hosted by Sir Walter Running, with runners of all levels in attendance.
Fleet Feet CEO Joey Pointer also happened to be attending the event and stayed with Simpson at the hospital while her family arrived.
“The outpouring of support from across the running community has been extraordinary,” the Instagram post from Fleet Feet said. “We appreciate the compassion, encouragement and concern shown for Jenny and her family, and we are grateful to be part of a community that continues to rally around them.”
In February, Simpson was brought in by Fleet Feet as its chief running officer. Her role is to inspire runners. She wrote on social media: “I’ll be leveraging a lifetime of experience and my deep belief in the transformational power of running to help Fleet Feet maximize its positive impact on health and wellness in communities across the country.”
Simpson captured the bronze medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. In addition, she won the 1,500 at the 2011 world championships, along with silver medals in 2013 and 2017. She was a multi-time national champion while running for the University of Colorado.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
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