under the microscope
WORST ILLNESS?
THREE years ago, I suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during an FA Cup quarter-final match between my team, Bolton, and Tottenham. My heart stopped beating for 78 minutes. I should have died or been left severely brain damaged. As I was running up the pitch, I felt a surreal dizziness like I was alongside my own body, then my vision went — but I had no pain in my chest. Then I fell and heard two thuds on the ground as I came down hard. I remember nothing until waking up in hospital three days later. I was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where the walls of the heart thicken, making it harder for the heart to pump.
HOW ARE YOU NOW?
I RECOVERED well enough to leave hospital a month later — my doctors described it as a miracle. The worst side-effect has been my short-term memory isn’t as good as it used to be, although my wife jokes that it’s usually when she asks me to take out the bins.
WHAT’S YOUR FITNESS REGIMEN?
I TRY to exercise at a level that I feel comfortable with, as I’m not allowed to play professional football any longer or exercise at any great intensity. I do go to the gym, but I don’t do anything strenuous, and I enjoy golf. What probably keeps me the fittest is running after my two boys — Josh, six, and Matthew, two.
GET YOUR FIVE A DAY?
YES. I am a healthy eater and my diet is almost the same as when I used to play football. For breakfast, I either have a bowl of porridge or sometimes a big cooked meal. My wife, Shauna, is an excellent cook. She makes lots of Jamaican and Congolese dishes like pondu madesu (slow-cooked beans and greens), jerk chicken, and rice and peas.
POP ANY PILLS?
I WAS put on daily beta-blockers, including bisoprolol, after my cardiac arrest, so I don’t take supplements — I couldn’t risk any contraindications.
ANY FAMILY AILMENTS?
NO, BOTH my parents are still alive and there’s no history of health problems. I never really had any injuries or health issues before my collapse.
FAMILY REMEDY?
THE power of prayer. I prayed with my father, Marcel, on the day of the match where I collapsed and asked God to protect me, and He didn’t let me down.
HANGOVER CURE?
I DON’T have a hangover cure, as I’ve never had one. I don’t really drink.
WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?
NOTHING, I’m a really good sleeper. I like to wind down by watching some telly and then I’m straight asleep.
EVER BEEN DEPRESSED?
NO, I believe in God and my faith is the foundation of my well-being as a person. But it took my near-death experience to really appreciate life. Lying in bed, I realised you can’t take anything material with you and it’s family and God that’s important.
Fabrice supports the Perform at St George’s Park residential rehabilitation Scheme, which is also open to the public. spireperform.com