Ray Balks and Glenise Anderson
70 and unstoppable: Ray's heart attack comeback
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’.
In late 2024, Glenise discovered Ray 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 Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (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.”
Today, thanks to the speed and expertise of specialist teams at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), Ray is alive, thriving and back competing.
Why Ray and Glenise give back
“How can you put a price on your life?” said Ray. “The best we can do is participate in research that helps the next person and donate to the Foundation that funds the research.”
None of it, the couple said, would have been possible without the incredible care Ray received at RBWH.
“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,” said Ray.
He and partner Glenise Anderson are supporters of the RBWH Foundation, with Ray participating in research and the couple donating to the 2026 RBWH Foundation Giving Day.
Stories like those of Ray and Glenise are made possible by the care of RBWH staff and the generosity of RBWH Foundation donors. Your support helps fund and raise awareness of the research, equipment and care that give patients a future.
Find out how you can show your support or send a thank you here
