Cardiac event reveals Olympian's rare heart condition: 'There was a God present'

Three-time Olympian Jenny Simpson's life took an unexpected turn two months ago when a sudden cardiac event during a run revealed a rare heart condition. The 39-year-old athlete, known for her endurance, collapsed in Raleigh, North Carolina, shortly after helping a group of girls pace themselves during a mile run.

Simpson has no memory of the event itself, but witnesses Ivy and Joey Pointer recall the critical moments. Joey Pointer is the CEO of Fleet Feet, where Simpson serves as chief running officer. Ivy Pointer, a pediatric ICU physician, and her husband Joey were present because their child has a congenital heart disease, meaning they carry an automated external defibrillator (AED).

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When I looked over from afar, I knew that something was very, very wrong. So I told Joey to grab an AED and ran over and got there. ... I just remember thinking like, 'This can't happen right now. Like we have a lot happening soon and that this is not going to happen right now. You are going to fight. You're going to hold on. You have to wake up.' And I just kept saying her name and kind of screaming her name, honestly.

"When I looked over from afar, I knew that something was very, very wrong," Ivy told CBS News. "So I told Joey to grab an AED and ran over and got there. ... I just remember thinking like, 'This can't happen right now. Like we have a lot happening soon and that this is not going to happen right now. You are going to fight. You're going to hold on. You have to wake up.' And I just kept saying her name and kind of screaming her name, honestly."

Simpson was resuscitated by bystanders performing CPR until first responders arrived. She experienced a second cardiac arrest at the hospital and was transferred to Duke University Medical Center, where she spent days on life support. Reflecting on the incident, Simpson expressed profound gratitude, stating, "It means to me that there was a God present in all of this, my family doesn't have a history of heart conditions... And it's like I got plucked out of my home and put into this family."

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It means to me that there was a God present in all of this, my family doesn't have a history of heart conditions... And it's like I got plucked out of my home and put into this family.