A man who discovered that he had a congenital heart defect while training for the adidas Manchester Marathon has said he has ‘unfinished business’ as he sets out to complete the event three years after his shock diagnosis.

Scott Smith, from Plympton, was amid preparations for the 26. 2 mile challenge when he started to feel a sharp pain in the side of his chest.

“I’d never felt anything like that before,” recalls Scott. “I’ve always been a keen runner. I’d previously run a marathon and done plenty of 10K events, so I knew how my body reacts.

“I rested for a couple of days and then went for another run, but I felt that sharp pain again and that’s when I thought something really wasn’t right.”

The 37-year-old who works as a manager for a telecommunications company spoke to his GP who initially recommended painkillers and an extended period of rest. But every time that Scott resumed training the pain kept recurring.

This prompted the GP to refer Scott for a series of tests including an ECG and an MRI scan. “I’d had the tests but hadn’t heard anything back, so I assumed that no news was good news,” said Scott. “About a month had gone by when I had a call from the cardiology department, and that’s when they told me I had a problem with one of my heart valves.”

The tests had revealed that Scott had been born with a bicuspid aortic valve – a fault where the valve has only two flaps instead of three. When a valve does not close correctly, the heart must work harder to pump blood. If left untreated the condition can cause permanent damage to the heart and in some rare cases cause a cardiac arrest.

“I was completely gobsmacked,” said Scott. “You read stories about people uncovering heart conditions, but I was 35 at the time and with the amount of running and keeping fit I did I never thought it could happen to me.

“I went through a bit of a depression because I didn’t know if I would be able to run again. I’d always used running to deal with life’s stresses. I felt angry at the thought that this had been taken away from me.”

After speaking with his cardiologist, Scott was relieved to learn that the impact on his life would not be as dramatic as he had first feared. While he would eventually need open heart surgery to replace the valve, he could continue being active.

He said: “The doctor told me I should keep exercising, but I just needed to be smarter about it and not push myself too hard. I now have a small heart monitor fitted under my skin to monitor my heart rhythm. This allows the doctors to check how my heart is working.”

Since his diagnosis, Scott has taken up swimming, cycling and yoga as other ways to stay active and manage stress. “There may come a time when I can’t run for medical reasons, so I’ve changed my lifestyle so that that wouldn’t be the end of the world,” he said. “Now when I exercise it’s about my personal enjoyment and mental health rather than trying to achieve a personal best.”

Despite having to rethink his outlook, Scott is now getting ready to take on the adidas Manchester Marathon on the 14th April in support of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) saying it felt like ‘unfinished business.’

“I couldn’t take part in the event in 2021 as I was in the middle of having tests on my heart,” he said. “I don’t want my heart condition to define who I am. My cardiologist has given me the all-clear to do this marathon. I’m motivated by what I can still do and achieve. If I can inspire others who are in a similar situation to me then that would be fantastic.”

There are around 7.6 million people living with a heart or circulatory condition in the UK. The BHF funds research to develop better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat these conditions.

Jas Dhanda, Events Fundraising Executive at the BHF, said: “It’s very inspiring to hear Scott’s story and I wish him all the best as he seeks to complete this very personal challenge.

“Whatever time he completes the course, he can be very proud of the achievement.”