Australian cricketer and Netherlands national cricket coach Ryan Campbell is a man celebrating two things: life and cricket.
Earlier this week the Western Australia-born coach reflected on reaching a six-month milestone since his widely publicised cardiac arrest back in April.
Netherlands coach Ryan Campbell.Credit:Sabine van Wechem
“We just lost Rod Marsh, who was my Cricket Academy coach and I was very close to him, and obviously Shane Warne,” he said.
“I only saw the outpouring of grief afterwards and all the press about me and in all honesty, I just thought I am not anywhere near Rod Marsh or Shane Warne’s position in world cricket, but I think it was just that I was another cricketer in his 50s who’d had these heart issues and I think the world was like ‘what’s going on?’ ”
Campbell was at a playground in the UK on a family holiday when he collapsed from a near-fatal cardiac arrest at 50 years old.
“I literally keeled over with a cardiac arrest and my wife tells me that I died 15 times or something over the next two or three days, but for some reason I kept coming back and I guess the romantic in me would like to say that I’m not a quitter, and the love of my family and kids kept dragging me back. So, I’m glad I’m still here,” he said.
After defying the odds – doctors said there would be a 7 per cent chance of survival – and 21 days in hospital, seven spent in an induced coma, Campbell has become vocal on men’s health and has received thousands of messages of support from strangers and fans across the world.
“The amount of people … saying ’Hi Ryan, I just wanted to thank you because I’m 45 or I’m 50 and I thought I was fit, but when I saw what happened to you, I just went to the doctor and they found something and now I’m gonna get it fixed.”
“The amount of people that have come to me and rung me or text me or messaged me on social media, saying ‘Hi Ryan, I just wanted to thank you because I’m 45 or I’m 50 and I thought I was fit, but when I saw what happened to you, I just went to the doctor and they found something and now I’m gonna get it fixed or I’m on some medication,’ ” he said.
“We are all not immortal, that’s the one thing that I’ve learned. So please go see your GP get checked out for the sake of your family and for yourself.”
On ‘Restart a Heart’, a CPR awareness day last week, Campbell was invited to participate in the Heart of the Nation, the world’s largest CPR Class, founded by Original Yellow Wiggle and fellow cardiac arrest survivor Greg Page.
“CPR is something very close to our heart, that myself and my wife did a first aid CPR course in the last three months just so we could help someone,” Campbell said.
Campbell takes a catch to dismiss South African great Jacques Kallis while playing for Western Australia.Credit:Getty Images
“I’m only here because a girl by the name of Beci Bassett had just finished her CPR course and gave me CPR on the spot and brought me back.”
Campbell has been living in the Netherlands with his Dutch wife and two Dutch-speaking children. He will be farewelling his team after this year’s T20 World Cup campaign and five years at the helm.
“I’d love to, you know, one day obviously, come home to Australia and I’ve got a seven-year-old and four-year-old who speak fluent Dutch at the moment. I’d love for them to experience living in WA or in Australia by the beach,” he said.
The Netherlands will face Sri Lanka on Thursday after claiming victory over the United Arab Emirates and Namibia. The team will need to win Thursday’s match or hope the UAE lose against Namibia to stay in the tournament.
“I’m only here because a girl by the name of Beci Bassett had just finished her CPR course and gave me CPR on the spot and brought me back.”
Ryan Campbell
A veteran of 98 first-class games, Campbell played two one-day internationals for Australia. Campbell, who has Hong Kong Chinese ancestry through his grandmother, also played for Hong Kong in the 2016 World Twenty20.
Campbell will be looking for a new gig, but says for now he’s relishing all parts of life.
“I’ve literally had the most wonderful afternoon because I’ve got friends from Las Vegas, from Hong Kong, from Perth, from Melbourne, from Sydney, they’ve all flown into Geelong today to catch up to celebrate me being still here for six months,” he said.
“That’s the joy I’m getting at the moment, watching our cricket team, but also spending time with my family and friends here.”
