RBWH patient racing to give back

70-year-old ultra-fit triathlete and ninja warrior Ray Balks was used to tackling some of the toughest obstacle courses on the planet. What he never expected to face was a race for survival following a heart attack - a catastrophic arterial blockage grimly nicknamed the ‘widow maker’.

Today, thanks to the speed and expertise of specialist teams at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), Ray is alive, thriving and committed to giving back. 

“How can you put a price on your life?” said Ray. 

“Our whole experience, from the paramedics to the food services teams, physiotherapists and multiple cardiologists, was unbelievable. It was clear to me that we needed to find a way to give back. 

“The best we can do is participate in research that helps the next person and donate to the Foundation that funds the research.” 

Featured as part of Network 10’s coverage of Giving Day, Ray’s goal was to inspire others to donate so more people, like him, can get a second chance at the life they love. 

“Ray’s story is remarkable, and it’s one of many in a hospital that changes, saves and helps rebuild lives every single day,” said RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske.   

“When you donate, you’re helping power innovation, bridge funding gaps and drive incredible progress in patient care – building the healthcare of the future.”

In late 2024, Ray’s wife Glenise discovered him collapsed and confused, having suffered a blockage in his main artery. With survival rates for this type of heart attack estimated to be as low as 10%, the couple credit an “incredible” team of paramedics with keeping Ray alive long enough to reach RBWH. 

“When we arrived at the hospital, they rolled Ray straight through and began getting him ready for surgery. Dr Stephen Kyranis and his team were already there, asking lots of questions and ready to go. It was very fast,” said Glenise. 

And fast is par for the course for this remarkable pair. Because just a few months after his surgery, Ray and Glenise were the oldest members of the Australian team at the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in Sweden, where Ray won gold. 

“When we did our first obstacle race eight weeks after Ray’s heart attack, I was very anxious. Ray’s cardiologist had said, ‘no reason for you not to go back to it. Just ramp it up slowly’. So, Ray told me he was just going to walk beside me. Until of course we were there and, suddenly, he’s going over all the obstacles, just as he had before. It put my hair on fire,” said Glenise. 

“I think that might have been the beginning of me coming to terms with things though. He’d done an obstacle course, and he was still okay. Maybe I could start sleeping - start breathing.”

None of it, the couple said, would have been possible without the incredible care Ray received at RBWH.