Roger Black, a former Olympic silver medalist in the 400m, revealed he had open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve after living with a heart condition since childhood. At 58 years old, Black shared that the procedure was necessary following a deterioration discovered during a routine check-up, despite his lack of symptoms. He acknowledged the exceptional care he received at Southampton General Hospital and expressed gratitude to his wife for her support during his recovery. Black continued to highlight that he never allowed his heart condition to hinder his athletic pursuits.
Despite living with the heart issue, Black had a hugely successful athletics career, coming second in the men's 400m at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 behind USA superstar Michael Johnson.
At my annual check up last summer it was clear that things had deteriorated despite me having no obvious symptoms. It was a shock but deep down I knew this day would come.
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