Guests on Air
Members login

One Day, He Was In The Gym. Days Later, He Was Facing Triple Bypass Surgery

Andy Wheeler’s story challenges the dangerous assumption that a major health event always arrives with obvious warning signs. One day he was on the treadmill and lifting weights; days later, he was in hospital being told the blockage was too severe for a stent and that he needed triple bypass surgery.

What began as discomfort while out with his grandson turned into the discovery of a 99.6% blockage in his LAD artery, often known as a Widowmaker. For men’s health, midlife wellbeing, resilience and real-life story audiences, Andy brings a powerful reminder that being active does not always mean we are safe, and that life can change without warning.

His story opens up a wider conversation about why men often ignore small signals, how a health scare can force a complete rethink, and what it really takes to rebuild confidence, purpose and trust in your body after a major setback.

About Andy Wheeler

Andy Wheeler, podcast guest

Author and Founder - Heart Recovery Coach for Post-Bypass Recovery

Age 59 Survived a Widowmaker heart attack in May 2025Triple bypass Underwent open-heart surgery within days of the heart attack159 pages Beating the Odds recovery book, published in April 20261,000+ authors Children's publishing support

Andy Wheeler is an author and founder who provides practical recovery guidance and lived-experience support for people preparing for or recovering from heart attacks and open-heart bypass surgery.

He began this work after suffering a Widowmaker heart attack and undergoing a full triple bypass open-heart surgery in 2025; during his hospital stay he started blogging to record the day-to-day realities and questions that clinical care did not answer. Waking with hallucinations and facing intense emotional turmoil convinced him many patients leave hospital unprepared, so he turned those daily notes into a recovery journal and then a book. That direct, bedside-to-publication pathway is the origin of his recovery platform.

His credibility is grounded in authorship and publishing experience plus lived experience of major cardiac surgery. He is the author of Beating the Odds, which was published in 2026, and he founded My Heart Recovery Coach after his 2025 cardiac event. He is based in South Wales near Cardiff and brings a background of ten years in children’s publishing with over 1,000 authors served to his communication work.

Day to day he creates patient-facing content, speaks at events, accepts podcast invitations, and oversees development of a companion app designed to extend support to a full year after surgery.

View profile →

Book Andy Wheeler for your show

Request an interview →