Why we walk
Jenny and Edmund founded the Walk for Life to provide a place of connection for all families and friends who have lost someone to a sudden cardiac arrest. We hope to provide an opportunity for community solidarity, a chance to share your story, or just a place to sit quietly amongst the beautiful surrounds of Centennial Park.
Sometimes bereaved families find out the nature of the genetics of the heart arrythmia that caused their loved one’s death. Other families don’t have those details and instead have been told that the cause of death is ‘unascertained.’ But for everyone, this loss brings deep sadness and feelings and thoughts that are often hard to articulate when we try to describe to others what has happened.
So throughout the day at the Walk for Life, in a context of shared experience, families often share stories, hear others’ perspectives on events, and learn about helpful medical links and support strategies. Walk for Life brings together mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, friends and families of healthy young people who have suddenly died. Together we walk in honour of all of them.
What happens on the day
We assemble from 10am and Jenny and Edmund provide a warm welcome to all. Before the walk begins, there are some short speeches, including a guest speaker from the Centenary Institute, a research institute trying to find ways of preventing and diagnosing cardiac arrhythmias. The walk itself is a flat 5km leisurely walk but if you prefer to stay at the picnic area under the shade of the trees that’s also fine. After the walk we share a byo picnic together.
For further details re the route, what to bring and so on, please see RSVP for our 2026 walk.
Our story
Jenny and Edmund are the parents of Aidan, who died suddenly on the 24th May 2018. His bag was packed for uni, and he was getting ready to leave for his regular walk to the bus stop. Aidan was the gentlest and brightest of young men, so deeply loved by his family and friends. He was making the most of his wonderful life. We don’t know the specific cause of his death and there was no reason to expect its coming. The medical follow-up team at the Centenary Institute continue to look for an explanation. It is most likely that he died from a sudden and unexpected abnormal heart rhythm.