Shane fights his way back to health
A DAD-OF-FOUR has fought his way back to fitness to achieve a black belt in kickboxing just nine months after suffering a heart attack.
Shane Billings had been training when he returned home from the gym one night to experience an unusual sensation in his chest.
The 55-year-old dad trains at Martial Sports Gym, at Sharpe’s Industrial Estate, in Swadlincote, and had been working towards achieving the coveted level in kickboxing in April this year. He suffered his heart attack on February 9 and says it stopped him in his tracks but slowly he has recovered and regained his fitness now he says he feels better than ever.
He had to have a stent fitted to help keep his artery open.
Mr Billings said: “I was in training, as I go once a week for private tuition, and I had the lesson and we went through the black belt requirements. Everything went well and when I finished I drove home. I got in and put the kettle on, made a coffee and let the dog out.
“Then out of the blue, I went light-headed, had vicious cold sweats and this strange warm feeling across my chest. I thought it was a bit strange so I phoned work to say I’m not coming in and phoned my parents who took me to Burton A&E, where they said I’d had a heart attack.
“I didn’t feel scared or in pain, I just wondered what was happening. I was bluelighted to the Royal Stoke Hospital where within an hour of arrival I had a stent fitted. I had three days recovery and then was back home.
“There was no warning; it was just everything all at once. I had been training for quite a while and it was coming up to two years. I’m quite fit for my age and had no issues before. It just makes you realise how things can change.
“After it happened I was told to avoid certain exercises in case the stent moved. I went to Burton hospital for rehab with the heart team for eight weeks where we did cardio and everything went okay. They were brilliant as well.
“After that it was onwards and upwards and I started going back to training, but I took my time. I started going once a fortnight and building back up. I was then able to train properly again.
“I felt confident and fit again so I went for it. My wife was with me on the day as she came to watch. It is something I’ve always had a love for with martial arts.”
Mr Billings, from Stapenhill, is no stranger to martial arts as he was previously an instructor for 13 years in jujutsu but gave that up due to other commitments. However, he found he was missing the sport so went to the Swadlincote gym with a friend.
To earn his black belt he had to first complete a demanding stamina test which included star jumps, press-ups, sit-ups and squats.
Mr Billings, who works at Trelleborg in Swadlincote is looking at what happened to him in a positive way, adding that he now feels strong. He said: “It goes to show that if you can put your mind to anything, no matter what happens, you can still achieve things.”
Jamie Fearn, who runs Martial Sports Gym with Matt Talbot, said: “To come back from that is something for him to be proud of and for me to be proud of as his instructor. He said he feels fitter now than before the heart attack.”