In this extraordinary episode, World Champion open-water swimmer Nick Parkes joins Barry Eustance to tell the story that transformed his life
During a competition, Nick suffered a cardiac arrest in the water, nearly drowned, and was clinically dead for 20 minutes.
Thanks to immediate CPR and the rapid response of an air ambulance team, he survived.
Today, he dedicates his life to raising awareness of CPR’s life-saving power and campaigning to change the stark reality that 1 in 11 people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest will die.
Expanded Description
This conversation is a rare combination of survival, purpose, and practical action.
Nick Parkes, a world-class open-water swimmer, describes the moment his heart stopped mid-competition, the chaos that followed, and the actions that ultimately saved his life.
Pulled unconscious from the water, without pulse or breathing, Nick was kept alive through continuous CPR until an air ambulance crew arrived and continued the fight to bring him back.
Nick explains what it feels like to wake up after being clinically dead, how it reshaped his understanding of fragility, and why his mission now is to turn his near-death experience into national awareness and collective capability.
He and Barry Eustance discuss why CPR is not a specialist skill, but a simple, learnable action that anyone can take — and why hesitation is the greatest enemy of survival.
Nick speaks candidly about the psychological aftermath, the gratitude he carries for those who saved him, and the duty he now feels to ensure others have the same chance.
His fundraising and awareness work aims to redefine those odds, inspiring people everywhere to learn CPR and act when it matters most.
This episode is not just a story of survival – it’s a call to build a society where more people live because more people know what to do.
Key Themes and Takeaways
– How a world champion athlete suffered cardiac arrest mid-competition.
– The chain of survival: CPR, rapid response, and expert intervention.
– The terrifying statistic: 1 in 11 people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest will die.
– CPR is simple, fast to learn, and the only tool most bystanders will ever have.
– Why hesitation kills – and how confidence saves.
– What it means to be clinically dead for 20 minutes – and come back.
Nick’s mission as a Cardiac Champion, raising awareness across the UK.
The emotional impact on survivors, responders, and families.
The cultural need to normalise CPR knowledge for all ages.
The empowering reality: you can save a life.
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction and Nick’s background in elite open-water swimming
03:45 – The competition: when everything changed
09:55 – Cardiac arrest, drowning, and being clinically dead for 20 minutes
14:20 – CPR: the battle to keep Nick alive
18:40 – The air ambulance team arrives
23:55 – Waking up: confronting survival
29:30 – The 1-in-11 statistic and the CPR knowledge gap
35:50 – Why CPR must become universal
41:10 – Nick’s mission as a Cardiac Champion
47:20 – Reflections on purpose, fragility, and action
54:00 – Final message: anyone can save a life
(Adjustable to final audio runtime.)
Links
BHF RevivR – Learn CPR in 15 minutes
https://www.bhf.org.uk
Nick Parkes – JustGiving Fundraising Page
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nick-parkes
The Sixsess Consultancy – Home
https://sixsess.org
Be World Class – Home
https://be-world-class.com
Be World Class Performance Conference 2025
https://be-world-class.com/world-class-performance-conference-2025/
The Sixsess Consultancy’s Be World Class Performance Conference Summary
https://sixsess.org/2025/11/02/be-world-class-performance-conference-2025-facing-and-achieving-the-impossible/
Golden Thread Summary PDF
https://sixsess.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-Sixsess-Consutancys-Summary-of-BWPC-2025-Summary.pdf
Keywords
Nick Parkes, The Sixsess Consultancy, Barry Eustance, cardiac arrest survivor, CPR saves lives, British Heart Foundation RevivR, BHF RevivR, learn CPR, cardiac arrest awareness, air ambulance rescue, drowning and CPR, elite athlete cardiac arrest, world champion swimmer, sudden cardiac arrest, out of hospital cardiac arrest, CPR training, emergency response, survival story, Cardiac Champion, life saving skills, public health awareness, leadership and purpose, resilience, human survival, inspirational stories, trauma recovery, saving lives through CPR, community safety, Just Great People Podcast