Kāpiti woman describes pushing through symptoms on hike, only to find out it was a heart attack

“My legs and stuff just wouldn’t go. I was a bit puffy as well,” she recalled.

“There was no other option than eventually to get to the top … I was hoping some of those young men that were running past me might carry me up, but that didn’t happen,” she joked.

Whincup dismissed her symptoms, and had a similar experience in the following days on another walk.

“A few weeks later I had what I thought was indigestion. I know that’s a common mistake people can make between the two feelings.”

Kāpiti woman Joan Whincup shared her story about her heart attacks to help raise awareness for the Heart Foundation’s Big Heart Appeal.

Eventually, after experiencing the symptoms yet again, a doctor told her she had been having heart attacks.

“I suppose it was a bit of a shock, really,” Whincup said. “Because it was so undramatic it was hard to believe that’s what it was.”

She has since had stents put in, and “touch wood”, has been healthy for the past few years.

When she was in hospital awaiting treatment for the heart attacks, she saw a small poster on the wall with information about rehabilitation sessions for people with heart problems.

“That, for me, was an absolute lifesaver,” she said.

“It gives you the confidence to actually get back up on your feet and do stuff … [it’s the] worst thing to sit at home all day thinking you’re fragile and you can’t do anything.”

The rehabilitation was a mixture of training, diet and lifestyle education, as well as advice from pharmacists.

Whincup now swims, walks and does yoga regularly to keep herself fit and healthy.

Joan Whincup first noticed the symptoms during a scenic hike in Queenstown. Photo / Getty Images

It was this personal experience that led her to get involved as a volunteer street collector in the Heart Foundation’s Big Heart Appeal.

Volunteers will be out collecting for the appeal in February, and the foundation is calling on Kiwis to give two hours of their time on February 27-28 for the cause.

“Heart disease is our number one killer, claiming the life of one New Zealander every 90 minutes,” Heart Foundation medical director Dr Gerry Devlin said.

“Volunteering for us is a crucial way that you can help in the fight against heart disease.

“Funds raised help us make a vital difference, whether it is supporting research that leads to improved treatments and medications, to investing in overseas training for cardiologists so we can offer world-class treatments in New Zealand,” he said.

“We want our researchers, innovators, doctors and nurses to keep shifting the dial to improve heart health for New Zealanders and their families.”

Heart disease at a glance

Heart disease is New Zealand’s single biggest killer, claiming the lives of more than 6500 New Zealanders every year – one person every 90 minutes.More than 180,000 New Zealanders are currently living with heart disease.Including high blood pressure, around a million New Zealand adults are living with cardiovascular disease.Every 45 minutes, a New Zealander is admitted to hospital with a heart attack.More than 2500 people were treated for a cardiac arrest in the community or at home in 2024. Of these, only 24% survived to arrive at hospital.Since 1968, the Heart Foundation has funded more than $99 million in research and specialist training.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 12 years.