The American Heart Association and National Football League, alongside Damar Hamlin's Chasing M's foundation and social media physician Doctor Mike, will attempt to set a Guinness World Records title for Most people to complete CPR training in one hour by training 4,000 participants in Hands-Only CPR during the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh on April 24. This initiative addresses a critical public health gap: while immediate CPR can double or triple survival chances during cardiac arrest, more than half of people who collapse outside hospitals do not receive it.
Registration for the free training event at Acrisure Stadium is available at heart.org/NFLDraft. "Every second matters when someone experiences cardiac arrest and knowing how to perform CPR can be the difference between life and death," said American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown. The effort builds on the Nation of Lifesavers movement launched after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's 2023 cardiac arrest during a game, which highlighted the lifesaving potential of bystander CPR.
Hamlin, now National Ambassador for Nation of Lifesavers, noted the Pittsburgh event represents a full-circle moment. "As my experience with cardiac arrest has shown, CPR saves lives," he said. Medical expert Doctor Mike, who inspired the record attempt, emphasized that Hands-Only CPR requires no formal training and takes just 90 seconds to learn, making large-scale training events powerful tools for improving survival rates where more than 90% of people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest without immediate CPR do not survive.
The collaboration extends beyond the draft through NFL Foundation grants supporting CPR training and automated external defibrillator access in communities. Since 2023, grants have funded Hands-Only CPR training, credentialing, and placement of CPR kits in schools and youth sports programs. The American Heart Association has partnered with more than half of NFL teams to educate players, staff, and communities.
Hands-Only CPR education is also integrated into NFL PLAY 60 youth wellness programs through the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge, teaching students to recognize cardiac arrest, call 911, and perform chest compressions. As a founding member of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition established by the NFL, the Association advocates for cardiac emergency response plans in all public schools and athletic programs.
With nearly three out of four out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring in homes, the ability to perform CPR is particularly crucial. The American Heart Association recommends that witnesses to a teen or adult collapse immediately call 911 and begin chest compressions at 100-120 beats per minute. Additional resources are available at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR and www.heart.org/nation.
