As she addressed hundreds of people on a sunny Sunday in Esther Short Park, Molly Burdick recalled a darker time.
In 2011, Burdick went to the hospital with a heart rate of 180 beats per minute. She choked up as she discussed her mindset that night and in the years since, including bouts with post-traumatic stress disorder, inability to live a normal life and doubts about whether her son, a toddler at the time, would ever truly know her.
But her son is now 10 years old, and on May 11, she will begin competing for a spot on “American Ninja Warrior.”
“We’re all gathered here to support the same thing,” Burdick told the crowd. “I’m living my dream today, and I want today to be the day that you pursue your dreams.”
Shortly after, more than 500 walkers began the American Heart Association’s Heart and Stroke Walk. They raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight the causes of more than 13,000 deaths in Washington each year and two of the leading causes of death in the U.S., according to the association.
“It’s a cause that affects everybody, so I think that’s what led to the big draw,” said Lanette Trickey, the executive director for American Heart Association Oregon & Southwest Washington.
Nearly everyone in the walk Sunday raised their hands when asked if they’ve personally suffered from heart disease or stroke or know a loved one who has.
Faik Zelkanovic, 52, of Vancouver, was on vacation in Bosnia in 2015 when he suffered a heart attack. Zelkanovic said that he and some family members walked to raise awareness of the need for exercise.
Despite heavy sweats and breathing, Zelkanovic was lucky to be near people and a hospital during the medical episode, he said. But, “when you go on vacation and end up in the hospital, it wasn’t very lucky, actually.”
Kathleen Heim, 57, is a nurse leader at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. Her father — Bruce Fulton, 86 — died from congestive heart failure in December.
Prior to his death and during cardiac rehabilitation, one of Fulton’s goals was to participate in a heart walk. In 2017, he did just that in Portland.
“If you know my dad, you know he never would have done that,” Heim said.
Heim, who has completed several walks, said she has an additional incentive this year.
“All families have been touched by heart disease,” Heim said. “We want to eradicate it.”
While making a dent in those efforts, walkers were also part of a festive atmosphere. After a pep talk from Burdick, they warmed up with a brief Zumba class before heading to the Vancouver waterfront, where most of the walk took place.
“It’s nice to do it in an event style to make it fun,” said Barb James, 56, of Vancouver.
As the walk grew, organizers decided to hold one large event in Portland, Trickey said. Sunday’s annual walk marked the first in Vancouver after a four-year hiatus.
A desire from the community to bring the walk back to Vancouver was evident, Trickey said. The association reached a deal with Vancouver Clinic, which signed on as the presenting sponsor through 2021.
Burdick asked her fellow survivors, in the days between the annual walks, to be steadfast in their efforts to fight heart disease and stroke.
“Please do not allow it to sway you away from your path,” Burdick said. “If you can’t beat fear, then do it scared.”
