Olympic 1,500-meter bronze medalist and world champion Jenny Simpson says her running chapter "has ended" after she collapsed while pacing a mile group in Raleigh, North Carolina, in June.
Simpson, 39, provided an update on her health in an Instagram post Thursday, addressing the incident in which she underwent CPR and had an automated external defibrillator used at the track before she was taken to the hospital. She wrote that she was placed on life support amid issues to her heart and lungs.
"My body was dying, but my spirit wouldn't give up. I fought for my life," Simpson wrote, thanking everyone for their support and saying, "Your intervention, your intercession, and your love kept me going."
She said her heart and lungs recovered within days but that she was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. She wrote that scar tissue in her heart disrupted its electrical systems and ultimately caused her heart to stop.
"My future is an incredible gift. It's hopeful, and it will continue to have great purpose," Simpson wrote. "But my diagnosis also means it would be dangerous for me to return to running.
"That chapter has ended. Thankfully, my story hasn't."
She said her love for running "is stronger than ever" but that she will adapt as she continues in her role as chief running officer for running store company Fleet Feet, a role she took in February.
Simpson captured the bronze medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. In addition, she won the 1,500 at the 2011 world championships, along with silver medals in 2013 and 2017. She was a multitime national champion while running for the University of Colorado.
More about her recovery is set to be shared on "CBS Saturday Morning" this weekend as well as a podcast episode next month.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.