Sigmundur Stefánsson says doctors told him he was confused after deciding to run several marathons following a heart attack and cancer. Sigmundur, who is the latest guest on Sölva Tryggvason’s podcast, has achieved incredible things in his last years despite a lot of adversity.
“When I was preparing for my first marathon at the age of 47, I was suddenly stopped. It was at lunch on a normal Wednesday that I was going to run 7 kilometers that something happened. I finished the race, but I found myself abnormally weak. I went to the store to buy some food, but when I was about to start working again, I felt that something was wrong. I went home me and i was going to bed but i felt i had to get checked and i went to the health center after talking to my wife but finally i was transported with blue lights to Reykjavík in a ambulance. Then I had a heart attack and the artery was completely blocked. After the catheterization and other related things, I was told that I had to completely put aside the dream of running a marathon, and the doctors were absolutely adamant that it wouldn’t happen. They told me I would never run a marathon and not even a half marathon, at most I could run 10 kilometers quietly,” says Sigmundur, who has further demonstrated that many things are possible.
“I decided very quickly that I was going to give myself the gift of running a marathon for my 50th birthday and thus give myself the three years to reach my goal. It worked, and now I have run between 30 and 40 full marathons and even more half marathons, and that’s how I really showed that it’s possible to do a lot of things if you have the will to do it.”
Diagnosed with diabetes
Sigmundur started running regularly after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in his 40s, and he didn’t want to see the idea that he would lay flat after the heart attack and stop his lifestyle.
“I had started exercising a lot after being diagnosed with diabetes and found it helped a lot. So I had gotten used to the exercise lifestyle and couldn’t imagine At first the doctors told me I was crazy to take this risk and run this marathon after my heart attack But then the years passed and now the doctors say they are using me as classic example of what can be done if people encounter adversity. In fact, people can do whatever they want, as long as they know their own limits. That’s exactly what I do. I go so far ‘to the limit I think I can tolerate and I ride it. That’s always been my guiding principle and has worked well so far. I’ve always been a great competitor and there’s nothing better than me beat and that gives me a lot of satisfaction, but at the same time I know my limits and that’s a key factor in all of this. But I tell anyone who has encountered something like this, movement is the best medicine.”
I have cancer
Two decades after the heart attack, he started to feel pain again, but after three attempts at catheterization, he was sent for open-heart surgery. That’s not all, because while he was looking for solutions to his heart problems, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. But after radiation therapy and heart surgery, he recovered. Sigmundur is convinced that his good physical condition helped him to cope with these setbacks.
“When people have had heart surgery, all roads are really open to them, because everything has been opened up.” I am absolutely convinced that being in good shape in the face of such adversity is crucial. If you are in good shape, it will be much easier in every way. If you are in bad shape at zero, it is definitely very difficult to get started and plan to get back in shape after a heart attack. It helps a lot if you’ve tested your body systems and your body is generally in good shape.”
Incredible stamina
Sigmundur has now run marathons, triathlons and iron calls all over the world. Plus, he’s hiked Greenland with everything on his back, raced down Hvannadalshnjúk, and more. He says a marathon on the Great Wall of China stands out.
“It was completely different from running a normal marathon. We went to the Great Wall just over an hour from Beijing and walked through areas outside of those main sights. The steps are different in height and deep and lots of bumps so you have to be very careful all the time. It was quite an amazing experience running there on this old structure and then riding around the countryside. It was like stepping back 100 years. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced in my entire life,” says Sigmundur, who is grateful for all these adventures.
“I have a lot of friends and spouses and children and others who have supported me through it all. So you’re not doing it alone, but it’s given me and my woman, a huge sum and I can’t help but be grateful. To take all these trips and face ourselves and nature. It’s the pinnacle of existence.”
Sigmund’s interview and all of Sölva Tryggvason’s interviews and podcasts can be accessed at solvitryggva.is
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