The Heart Warrior Project

01/06/2026

🌟 “We came from the darkness. We came back from the darkness.”

Becca Travis survived a sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 25 while out on a run.

After her cardiac arrest, she went through a period of darkness.

Surviving such an event is often far more challenging than it appears from the outside.

In our conversation, I asked her if she had any words for fellow Heart Warriors who might be going through darkness right now.

If you'd like to listen to the full conversation with Becca, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/KnPTcYi8cTY?si=P6JIVbaV9KOR-zjR

29/05/2026

Over the past few months, I’ve been out training regularly for my kayaking expedition in 2027 🚣‍♂️

Almost every week, I’m out there training for this expedition, which is aimed at raising money for cardiogenetic research.

The fundraiser is already live, and I want to thank everyone who has donated so far.🙏 It genuinely makes a difference.

Rare conditions like cardiomyopathies (which I have) remain significantly underfunded. That feels like a gap we can address. Hereditary diseases affect not only individuals but entire families, and they deserve far more attention and resources.

Because of the worsening of my heart condition, I’m no longer allowed to do high-intensity exercise, such as many of the adventure activities I used to do, as an elevated heart rate can contribute to the progression of the disease.

Kayaking, something I discovered last year, allows me to keep pursuing adventure without pushing my heart rate too high.

So, combining this newfound passion with a greater purpose, I’ll be putting myself out there over the coming year: training, preparing, and documenting the entire journey.

With the hope of inspiring others to donate so we can move the needle toward better treatments and, hopefully, a cure for hereditary heart disease. ❤️🧬

If you want to support the fundraiser for cardiogenetic research, you can do so here: https://acties.uzafoundation.be/en-GB/project/kayakken-voor-cardiogenetisch-onderzoek?tab=overview

27/05/2026

About to live-stream my kayak training for the expedition I am planning in 2027 to raise money for cardiogenetic research. Come say hi!

https://www.youtube.com/live/zjYWMRJaeek?is=dEV4pTIvNThvJsdx

25/05/2026

Back from London. ✈️ I’m still riding the high from celebrating the very first World Heart Warrior Day (May 23rd) with an amazing group of heart warriors: people who survived a cardiac arrest or are living with the risk of one.

People came from all around the world to join us.

Such an incredibly special moment, with incredibly brave, kind, empathetic, and resilient people. ❤️

Stay tuned for WHWD 2027, as I’ll be organizing another international meetup next year. I’m thinking of Vienna, Brussels, Paris, or perhaps London again, but I’m very open to suggestions. 📍

So, feel free to leave a comment with one.

And of course, be sure to follow us to stay notified when more info drops. 🔔

Can’t wait to see familiar faces, new faces, and give lots of hugs to you all on World Heart Warrior Day 2027. ❤️🤗

23/05/2026

On the 23rd of May, we celebrate World Heart Warrior Day. 💪🏻🫀 A day to celebrate us heart warriors.

A moment to pause and recognize the strength and resilience you have shown throughout this journey so far, and to give yourself a pat on the shoulder for fighting through the moments of darkness.

For many of us, being a heart warrior is truly a journey filled with ups and downs, sometimes far more downs than the outside world realizes.

So take this day to celebrate yourself, and know that other heart warriors are out there, wanting to stand beside you through this journey. ❤️

20/05/2026

Perhaps you are about to get an ICD, and you wonder: “What does it actually look like?” 🤍

A group of heart warriors from our community sent in photos and shared short stories about what life with an ICD is really like.

Swipe through to see their scars, different kinds of ICDs, and read part of their stories 🫀

If you want to see more photos from other people, go to heartwarriorproject.com and search for the article titled “Living With an ICD: What It Looks Like on Real People.”

Or, if you’d like to hear their voices, not just see their scars, many of them have also shared their stories on the podcast 🎧

Search “The Heart Warrior Project” on your favorite podcast app or YouTube.

18/05/2026

We are hosting our last meetup of May! 🎉

Meet fellow SCA survivors and people at risk, and connect with others who truly understand what it’s like to be a heart warrior ❤️

https://calendly.com/d/cxwb-27w-nmz/cardiac-comeback-crew-open-discussion

14/05/2026

My time in Plum Village, a Buddhist monastery in France where I spend some time every year, is coming to an end. 🍃

I bought a handcrafted slate stone with the words: “No suffering, no happiness.” 🪨

I was very drawn to it because I don’t agree with it.

I know… bear with me. 🙂

From personal experience dealing with my heart disease, and going through surgeries and interventions that caused pain, I’ve found that when you are in the middle of pain, or when pain becomes constant and turns into suffering, there is no happiness to be found.

Of course, when the pain passes, even briefly, gratitude and happiness can appear very strongly. The contrast itself creates appreciation.

But in the middle of the pain itself? In the middle of the suffering itself?

The pain can become so overwhelming that it takes up all the space, leaving no room for happiness to seep through.

So why did I buy it?

Because I want to get to a place where suffering and happiness can exist together.

The reality for me, and maybe for some fellow heart warriors reading this, is that I have a progressive heart disease. It is getting worse and worse. I know there will be more pain and suffering ahead because of it.

I don’t want happiness to exist only in the absence of pain. I want to learn whether it’s possible for happiness to walk alongside it.

I’m not there yet. I don’t yet know how to do this.

But maybe it’s possible.

And that’s why I bought the slate stone.

Not because I already understand it, but because I want to contemplate it more deeply and explore whether I can someday arrive at a place where happiness and suffering can coexist. 🌱

Curious to hear your thoughts on that statement: “No suffering, no happiness.” 💭

13/05/2026

A new episode is out!

Sudden cardiac arrest survivor Elise van de Haar shares her story of what life has been like living with an ICD, and what her experiences were like receiving multiple shocks.

Sudden cardiac arrest survivor Elise van de Haar shares her story of what life has been like living with an ICD, and what her experiences were like receiving...

11/05/2026

This too shall pass. A quote that has been there for me through many hard times. So much so that I had it tattooed on me.

I remember one ablation procedure where I had to stay awake. Initially, they told me it would last two hours. It ended up lasting five.

In my head, I kept repeating this quote over and over again: this too shall pass. This moment will not last forever. And look now, two years have already passed.

Through all my hospital stays and surgeries, this quote has always been there for me. ❤️

So hereby, I’d like to give it to you as well.

If you are going through a rough moment, first of all, I’m sending a big virtual hug your way. 🫂 And know this: in one form or another, this too shall pass.

On the flip side, this quote is not only there to remember during hardship, but truly for anything.

A beautiful moment, the people we love, our pets, the environment around us... 🌅🐾

It’s all impermanent. And while that can feel scary, it’s also what makes it special. And with that, beautiful.

As heart warriors, many of us have already been reminded of the fragility of life and that it won’t last forever. ❤️ At least for me, it has made many aspects of life so much more precious.

But it’s easy to forget at times through the busyness of life. So hereby, again, remember: whatever you are doing right now or feeling, this too shall pass.