Hilary Nicholls, who lost her daughter Clarissa in May, says there were no signs before she suddenly collapsed on a hike in France. The 20-year-old from London was a national runner and had been sporty from a young age. Two weeks after her death, doctors realised she had an undiagnosed heart condition.
Up to one in 300 people may be carrying the condition, charity Cardiac Risk in the Young says, with Hilary now urging grassroots sports clubs to give young athletes mandatory heart screening by specialists.
Now, Hilary wants to introduce more screening of young and healthy athletes in a bid to understand more about the condition and prevent any more unexpected deaths. “If there’s anything I can do to save anyone else’s life I really want to fight for that,” she added.
