Brooke Williams has her eyes on the future.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
It’s one of the deadliest killers of Australians - for the old and young, healthy and unhealthy alike.
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In fact, heart disease, in all its forms, is the single biggest cause of death in Australia, according to the organisation Heart Research Australia.
And it’s something to which Barooga runner Brooke Williams is no stranger.
After a lifetime of training, Brooke was about to compete in one of the biggest races of her life - the national championship 10km in Melbourne. The year was 2018.
But everything changed for Brooke after she fainted one day.
Rushed to the Cobram Hospital, Brooke, 35 this year, found herself unsure of whether she would ever be able to run again.
It was one week out from the race.
“The doctors were initially very concerned, and told me to put a halt on the running,” she said.
After training for months in the lead up to the national championships, Brooke said the news was devastating.
The chance to compete in the nationals passed. But after further tests, Brooke’s doctors realised her symptoms were actually those of a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
After all, the symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - or HCM for short - present in a very similar way in ECG scans to cardiac arrest, Brooke said. HCM is a condition in which the heart muscle thickens, making it more difficult for the organ to pump blood around the body.
Dreams of returning to the sport she loves had never left Brooke. So it may not have come as a surprise to those who know her that soon after Brooke’s doctors told her she could run again - and following the birth of her first child - she found herself lacing up her best joggers and hitting the track.
Undaunted by her diagnosis, Brooke went on to compete in the 2021 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Despite fierce competition, Brooke managed to secure second place.
“Three years [after the diagnosis] I was there. That was a huge goal for me,” she said.
From then on, it seemed that nothing could stop Brooke.
Now, Brooke has set her eyes further afield. Her second children’s book, titled Emma’s Big Heart and set in Barooga, provides insight into the lived experiences of young people with HCM.
Barooga's Brooke Williams competed at the national 10km athletics championships - Zatopek - in Melbourne on December 15 2022.
Photo by
Ryk Neethling
Now expecting to welcome a second child into the world, Brooke’s goal is to compete in the Valencia Marathon in Spain in December this year. Between now and then, she has booked herself in to as many events in Australia as she could. She’s also inspired her husband, mum, and sister to take up running.
Brooke highlighted the importance of taking care of one’s self to prevent heart disease by getting regular heart health checks.
“Even small things, like nutrition, hydration, and regular exercise make such a difference to your health,” Brooke said.
This February, Heart Research Australia is running REDFEB as part of its Heart Awareness Month.
In its lead-up, CEO of Heart Research Australia Nicci Dent drew attention to the importance of taking proactive steps to address heart disease.
“Prioritising heart health isn’t just about preventing heart attacks—it’s also about safeguarding your brain health and reducing your future risk of cognitive decline, including dementia,” she said.
“The message is simple, what’s good for your heart health is also good for your brain health.”
To find out more about heart disease and its impacts, visit the Heart Research Australia website at https://www.heartresearch.com.au/
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