The American Heart Association will bring Hands-Only CPR training to the inaugural National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Championship 5K presented by CVS Health on Nov. 21 at The Wharf in Washington, D.C., the organization announced via NEWMEDIAWIRE. The activation aims to equip runners, soccer fans and supporters with the skills and confidence to respond to a cardiac emergency, where immediate action can double or even triple a person's chance of survival.
The stakes are stark: nearly 9 in 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not survive, according to the American Heart Association. The training builds on the NWSL's formal collaboration with the Association, which has provided CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) education to professional players, coaches and staff across all 16 clubs. That effort made the NWSL the first American professional sports league to offer CPR training leaguewide. Led by Angel City FC defender and cardiac arrest survivor Savy King, player ambassadors across the league encourage fans to learn Hands-Only CPR, understand the importance of AEDs and take charge of their heart health.
"Most people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital depend on someone nearby to take action before medical help arrives," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. "NWSL Championship Weekend gives the American Heart Association an opportunity to help more people learn Hands-Only CPR and gain the confidence to act when every second counts."
The CPR experience is part of the Association's broader Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, which aims to double the survival rates of cardiac arrest by the year 2030. Hands-Only CPR, also known as compression-only CPR, is a simple technique: call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. The American Heart Association, which publishes the official scientific guidelines for CPR, has been identified by the Annenberg Public Policy Center as the most trusted public health information source after an individual's personal health care provider, with more than 8 in 10 U.S. adults expressing confidence in the organization.
For readers, the announcement signals a growing emphasis on bystander intervention as a public health priority. With cardiovascular disease remaining a leading cause of death, widespread CPR training could translate into more lives saved in communities nationwide. The initiative also underscores the role professional sports leagues can play in promoting health education. Fans attending the 5K can visit the CPR experience to practice Hands-Only CPR, learn to recognize cardiac arrest and join the movement. More information is available at www.heart.org/nation, and resources include Bystander CPR and an infographic. Additional tools such as Hands-Only CPR Resources and a guide on Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack are also available. The Association offers a community toolkit to reduce disparities in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Readers can take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR and find more at heart.org.
