A Texas dentist, who suffered a heart attack while taking part in the New York City marathon, returned after six months to the Big Apple to finish what he started.
A Texas dentist, who suffered a heart attack while taking part in the New York City marathon, returned after six months to the Big Apple to finish what he started.
Michael Goulding, 51, who is an avid runner, had collapsed in Harlem, seven miles from the finish line when he ran the course for the first time November 1.
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Paramedics on the scene restarted his heart with a two shocks from a defibrillator. Two months later he ran a half marathon and did fine.
He said he trained six months before attempting his first marathon, and couldn't believe when he woke up in the hospital that his heart had given out.
Before the reunion, Goulding went to the Harlem street corner where he had collapsed and ran the last seven miles by himself. There were no cheering crowds or blue line to follow, but he was satisfied just the same.
"It felt good. It shows how close the line is between life and death. I'm just very humbled," the New York Post quoted him as saying.
Of the paramedics who saved his life, Goulding had nothing but praise for them. "I was just touched by their professionalism," he said on May 20 after a reunion with his rescuers. "This isn't a job for them. It's a calling," he added.
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