In the segment Customer Story we share the experiences and stories of our customers. This blog is about Philip, a pacemaker carrier who practices competitive sailing. We asked him a few questions about his passions and the way receiving his device impacted his life.
How long have you been a device carrier?
I got my pacemaker in 2020. I gave up working to go ocean racing and sailing and was participating in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. The race had been suspended since March 2020 because of the pandemic. At that time, we had to leave the fleet of 11 boats in the Philippines and return home. When I got back to the U.K., I had a heart block and as a result had a pacemaker fitted.
How did receiving your pacemaker affect your life?
When the race restarted in March of 2022, and I was able to re-join my crew, it was a condition of my insurance that I had to wear some form of protection for the pacemaker – I searched the web and found Vital Beat. The only type of protection which met the requirement of my insurance was the Vital Beat, without it I could not have returned to ocean racing.
At what specific moments do you wear your Vital Beat protection?
For sailing, I wear a life jacket and a harness, the Vital Beat protection sits directly under the harness. When I wear the shirt and shield, I don’t even know it’s there! During the race I spent 46 days at sea, at times in very challenging conditions. The shield was a great success in allowing me to comfortably wear my life jacket, harnesses and tethers in complete comfort – it did a brilliant job.
What would you like to pass on to other device carriers?
I think that people who are considering purchasing protection for their device should just get on and buy it. There are absolutely no downsides to wearing it. I wore mine in the most extreme conditions crossing the North Pacific, soaking wet and freezing cold for 40 days!
P.S: Our boat finished 3rd in the race ( we should have won!)