Heart condition diagnosis fails to deter Dodd’s World Championship dream
It is less than a year since Lorna Dodd was diagnosed with a serious heart condition but she has refused to let it hold her back and she is now setting her sights on representing her country at the World Duathlon Championships.
The Halifax firefighter will compete for Great Britain at the World Duathlon Championships, in Abu Dhabi, this November but the road to the United Arab Emirates has been one full of challenges, the most significant of which came to light shortly after winning a major competition.
Dodd explained: “When I stood on the start line at the 2023 European Sprint Duathlon Championships in Caorle, Italy, I never imagined the day would end the way it did.
"I stepped onto my very first podium and climbed right to the top, winning gold for Great Britain. Shortly afterwards, I collapsed on the local running track.
"After countless hospital admissions and tests, I was diagnosed in November 2025 with coronary vasospasms; a condition where the vessels supplying blood to the heart muscle can suddenly tighten, making it difficult for blood to flow properly.
"It is managed through daily medication and by avoiding triggers such as caffeine, stress and exposure to extreme cold. Fortunately, when I compete, the vessels expand, allowing blood to flow more freely.
"Rather than allowing it to hold me back, I’ve worked hard to continue competing and have been fortunate enough to achieve some strong results in previous years.”
One of those sensational results came in last year’s World Championships, in Spain, where Dodd stepped up from sprint duathlon (a 5k run, 20k cycle and 2.5k run) to standard duathlon, which comprises a 10k run, 40k cycle and 5k run, to compete on the world stage for the very first time.
Dodd said: “I was advised that longer events may be better for my health. At my first World Championships, and my first competitive on-road standard duathlon, I won silver in my age category (30-34 years). I was absolutely over the moon.”
She added: “Racing alongside women from across the world and sharing such a spectacular event is an incredible feeling, one I cannot fully explain, but would love to bottle up and share with everyone.”
The former Ryburn Valley High School student has certainly shown grit and determination to succeed in sport but she has also done so away from competition, becoming a a firefighter with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, having initially been stationed in Halifax before moving to Rastrick to join the water rescue team.
Dodd said: “I am currently working on modified duties within the Strategic Development team at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service headquarters while my heart condition becomes stable enough for me to return to station.
"It is a different role for me, but I have really enjoyed the opportunity to look at the data behind our responses and gain a better understanding of the services we provide to our communities.”
Competing at the World Duathlon Championships in Abu Dhabi is completely self-funded and Dodd has embarked on a fund-raising initiative that will not only help her to achieve her sporting dream but also support the work of the charities that have provided invaluable support to her.
Dodd said: "I have spent endless hours on the British Heart Foundation website reading research papers to better understand what is happening in my heart.
"The personal support I have received from members of the International Heart Spasms Alliance has been phenomenal; they have helped guide me towards the right medical professionals and given me the confidence to ask the right questions.
"Take Heart has also supported me during some of my darkest and most painful hours and days, from funding the television on the hospital ward to providing coffee mornings and the rooftop terrace at Leeds General Infirmary."
Dodd added: “There have been days when I felt like giving up, but holding on to the hope of competing at the Abu Dhabi World Championships has kept me focused on what matters.
"I want to show others what is possible, even when life takes an unexpected turn. Our bodies are incredibly capable, and sometimes hope, determination and the support of others can carry us further than we ever thought possible.
“Abu Dhabi is somewhere I never imagined I would have the opportunity to visit, so representing Great Britain there would mean the world to me.
"It also means a great deal to be able to give something back to the charities that have supported me through some of the hardest times.
"Thirty per-cent of my fundraising will go directly to the British Heart Foundation, Take Heart and the International Heart Spasms Alliance, and anything raised over £3,000 will also be donated straight to them.”
Dodd added: "I have also been extremely fortunate to receive support from Serve and Protect, the credit union for those who serve, and A-SAFE, a local company that creates safety barriers used by businesses all over the world. Their support has made a real difference and has helped bring this opportunity within reach.”
Dodd is well on her way to achieving her fund-raising target but anyone wishing to support her campaign can visit www.givewheel.com/fundraising/11112/get-doddy-to-dhabi/