Lifesaving Defibs For Pharmacy

Somerset Pharmacist Advice Tasmania joins Guy Leech’s #heart180army

When Community Pharmacist Brad Nolan heard about the former Australian Ironman champion’s quest to get a defibrillator within 180 seconds of every Australian, Brad and the team decided they could help by installing a defib in their Somerset business. Brad said, “Given that we are the only Pharmacy located in this area of North West Tasmania, locating a defib on site was an easy decision to make and we’ll now work with other local businesses and community centres to see if any other additional units may be beneficial. It’s all about saving lives in our local community”.

Brad also stated, “Having our Pharmacy become part of this life saving initiative has been a great team motivator and we really appreciate Guy and the #heart180army’s help in choosing the right Defib along with providing online training for its use. Our pharmacists and many of the team have first aid and CPR certification as part of professional practice requirements and this allows us to provide another level of support to our local community”.

In 2016 Guy’s good friend ‘Chucky’ collapsed from Sudden Cardiac Arrest and died later that week even though Guy performed initial CPR and Emergency Services attended. “Defibrillation is essentially the core factor that determines if a person in cardiac arrest will survive and the Heart180 organisation was established to create a greater awareness of this” Guy said. “Statistics show that if you are able to get the defib on a patient within the first three minutes it’ll shock their survival rate to above 90% and with an average ambulance response time of 12 minutes, you must act fast”.

Brad and the team will raise awareness of the defib located in their pharmacy through community announcements, internal/external signage, Pharmacy website and local social media. For any business contemplating why they might become involved in the Heart180 army, Guy explains that “In Australia, more than 30,000 out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrests occur each year and with fewer than 10 per cent currently surviving, public access to defibrillation can quite literally mean the difference between life and death. In Australia there are approximately 100,000 defibs, which based on the geographical size of Australia means that there is currently insufficient coverage of these life saving devices”.

To find out more about how you can become part of the #heart180army or arrange a presentation for your business, feel free to talk with Brad or Annie in Somerset Pharmacy. Alternatively you can click on either of these web links below, send an email to heart180defibs@tpg.com.au or contact Scott Carpenter 0490 705 651

GUY LEECH

Founder & Director, Heart180

Touted as “Australia’s Number One Fitness Guy”, former Ironman World Champion, Guy Leech, has been a leader in the world of health and fitness for more than 35 years. But when his friend suffered sudden cardiac arrest in front of him in early 2016, Guy felt something he rarely experiences: powerlessness.

A few days after New Year’s, Guy and his surf ski paddling training squad were enjoying a beautiful morning training session in Australia’s Manly Harbour. At the end of their session, one of the paddlers, 63-year-old Charles Stewart – affectionately known to his friends as “Chucky” –  wasn’t feeling well and decided to cut the session short and head back to the beach.  He told his mates he’d see them at breakfast.

When they returned to the beach not long after, Chucky was unconscious on the grass and a passer-by was performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) CPR and had already called an ambulance. Guy sprang into action and took over the CPR on Chucky’s chest for a further 10 minutes until the ambulance arrived. Once on site, the paramedics were able to re-establish a heart-beat for Chucky, but unfortunately, he passed away later that week in hospital.

Since that tragic day, Guy has been campaigning for public and easy access to defibrillators. After learning first-hand that sudden cardiac arrest can strike anywhere and anytime, Guy has partnered with Stryker, world leader in the development of external defibrillators, to bring defibrillators to more Australian businesses and individuals.

Guy is proud to be the national Health and Fitness ambassador for Diabetes Australia and his mission has always been to inspire everyday Australians to be fitter and healthier through his businesses and community initiatives.  In 2012, he led participants to beat the World Record for the Biggest Fitness Circuit, while raising funds for children’s hospice, Bear Cottage.

He also broke an existing world record in 2013, staging the World’s Biggest Resistance Band Class, while raising funds for melanoma research, and in 2014, by hosting the World’s Largest Boxing Class.  In 2015, Guy partnered up with Arnold Schwarzenegger to lead the World’s Largest Core Class at the Arnold Classic EXPO, a multi-sport festival held in Melbourne.

Guy lives in Sydney’s Northern Beaches with his wife Helen and is a proud father to daughters Paloma, 20 and Phoenix, 13.

Guy’s Athletic Career

Guy’s illustrious fitness career began at 19 years of age when he shot to fame by winning the world’s first ever professional Ironman race, the Coolangatta Gold, which comprised a 46km race of running, swimming and paddling in near 40-degree heat from Surfers Paradise to Coolangatta and back.

“Leechy” went on to dominate the Ironman competition for the next decade, winning major races all over the planet, including the World Ironman title, Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman and snaring the Uncle Toby’s Ironman Champion title seven times.  Additionally, he has won the Australian Marathon swimming championships, represented his country in still water swimming and triumphed in his first attempt at the gruelling World Ocean Paddling Championship in Molokai, Hawaii over 56kms.

Further cementing his success in Australian sport, in 1994, Guy was crowned by the Australian Institute of Sport as “Australia’s Fittest Athlete” after competing in 10 events over two days against fellow elite athletes from high profile sports. Inside Sport also dubbed Guy “The Fittest Man on the Planet” the following year.

Guy retired from Ironman competition having never lost a marathon Ironman race, something no other Ironman has ever achieved.  Since then, Guy turned his focus to coaching others, including world renowned celebrities like Madonna and George Clooney, seven-time World Surfing champion Layne Beachley, Olympic Gold Medallist Kerri Potthurst and Olympic swimming sensation Kieran Perkins.  Guy has also improved the health of other Australian celebrities including Lochie Daddo, Antonia Kidman, Tom Williams, well known TV and radio personality Jono Coleman and Australian Idol judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson.

Now in his 50’s, Guy’s coaches and participates in surf-ski paddling multiple times a week, is a keen golfer and regularly attends reformer Pilates classes to keep his body fighting fit.

For more information on Heart180 or interviews with Guy Leech, please contact:

Katie Lettice at Soda Communications

Ph: 0405 470 925 or katie@sodacommunications.com.au