Daley Blind is the new ambassador of the Heart Foundation. The 31-year-old defender annex midfielder of Ajax has had to deal with heart muscle inflammation and now wears an ICD, a box that intervenes in case of dangerous heart rhythm disorders. Blind hopes to inspire young people with heart problems to pick up their normal lives and start exercising again.
“When you think of heart problems, you often think of older people,” Blind said in a statement from the Heart Foundation. “But there are also plenty of children, young people and young adults who have something on their mind. Just look at me. I get a lot of positive reactions, especially from young people who don’t mention that they have a heart problem, are perhaps ashamed of it, and who no longer dare to exercise.”
“I hope that I can inspire these young people to start exercising and to resume their normal lives as much as possible,” continues Blind. “I got back to my normal life very quickly, started exercising again very quickly. I have also had anxious moments, but I am proof that you can still do (top) sport even if you have something to do with your heart.”
The Netherlands currently has one and a half million chronic cardiovascular patients, a number that in the current situation could increase by 33 percent within ten years. “Hereditary factors play a role, of course, especially if you get something to your heart at a young age. In addition, smoking, an unhealthy lifestyle and unhealthy diet increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,” explains Floris Italianer, director of the Heart Foundation. “That’s why it’s fantastic that Daley Blind is calling on people to take good care of their hearts.”