On Monday 12th October, Nick Parkes joins The League at Eslington Manor to talk about the day his heart stopped, the work it took to return to the water, and what he chose to do with the second chance that followed.

Nick is a former World Champion, European Champion, and 11-time British Open Water Champion. In July 2023, while competing in a five-kilometre race at Rother Valley, he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. A kayaker spotted him motionless and face down in the water. He was pulled out, given CPR and defibrillator treatment, and received critical care from Yorkshire Air Ambulance before being taken to hospital.

Nick had been clinically dead for twenty minutes. He spent two days in a coma and later underwent a double heart bypass. When he woke, one of his first questions was whether he had won the race.

Getting back in the water

Survival was the first part. Recovery meant rebuilding a body that had shut down, along with his confidence, identity, and trust in the sport that had shaped much of his life.

His first return to the pool was emotional. Nick later told Swim England that his goggles filled with tears as he lay back in the water. He also knew why he had come back. Swimming was still something he loved, and he wanted to find out how far that return could go.

Training began again. So did competition. The question driving him was simple: How far can a survivor go?

Thirty-two kilometres through Loch Ness

On 31st August 2026, Nick swam the full length of Loch Ness. He covered 32 kilometres in 11 hours and 57 minutes, becoming the first sudden cardiac arrest survivor to complete the crossing.

The swim is expected to produce around 28 separate records, including medical world firsts, age records, performance records, and a claim for the most records achieved during one marathon swim. Those records are still awaiting ratification.

The figures tell us what Nick completed. They do not show the early mornings, the uncertainty, or the people who stayed beside him. The man who performed CPR on Nick at Rother Valley was part of the Loch Ness support team three years later. Nick's wife, Mags, was on the boat too.

A second chance put to work

Nick now speaks to businesses, sports organisations, community groups, and medical audiences about heart health, sudden cardiac arrest, CPR, and access to defibrillators. He is also raising money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK.

Both organisations sit directly within his story. Yorkshire Air Ambulance helped save his life at Rother Valley. Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK supports survivors and their families through a recovery that can continue long after they leave hospital.

You can read more about the swim and support the fundraising through Nick's website, or follow his updates on Instagram.

What we will talk about

This evening is about what comes after survival. Nick will speak about returning to the place where he nearly died, learning to trust his body again, and setting an ambition large enough to give recovery a direction.

We will also talk about the chain of people behind every survival story. The person who notices. The person who starts CPR. The defibrillator close enough to reach. The medical team that takes over. Nick is here because that chain held.

Date: Monday 12th October 2026
Arrival: 18:30 for dinner at 19:00
Venue: Eslington Manor, Gateshead
Tickets: £45 per seat

Thirty seats around one table with a man who was given another chance and decided to see how far he could take it.