Ben Pattison emerges triumphant from heart surgery Bronze medal from the world championships

Ben Pattison received a warning that his ability to run might be permanently compromised due to a rare heart condition. However, despite needing emergency surgery for this condition during the Covid lockdown, the 21-year-old made a remarkable recovery. He underwent a procedure to burn off a portion of his heart and eventually made a surprising comeback in the 800 meters race at the World Athletics Championships.

Contrary to his modest goals of simply advancing from the heats, Pattison defied expectations and secured a bronze medal in the 800 meters event. This achievement was unexpected, as he had originally planned a post-race dinner with his parents and girlfriend after what he believed would be an ordinary performance. Instead, he found himself relishing the moment as the first British man in 36 years to win a world medal in this distance.

Pattison’s journey to winning the medal was fueled by text messages from last year’s 1500 meters world champion, Jake Wightman, and a conversation with Josh Kerr, the reigning world champion who had surpassed Wightman. Pattison’s surgery, which lasted several hours, was necessitated by Wolf Parkinson White syndrome. Although it was a frightening experience, Pattison expressed gratitude for the support he had during the surgery.

During his recovery period, which restricted him to walking and playing video games, Pattison engaged in Call of Duty Warzone on the PS4. He adhered to Wightman’s advice to start the final race aggressively, a strategy that ultimately paid off. Despite the challenging circumstances, Pattison managed to maintain his pace and secure the bronze medal, while Marco Arop claimed the expected gold and Emmanuel Wanyonyi took the silver.