Sydney CPR World Record attempt

There have been plenty of large crowds at Allianz Stadium in Sydney for a range of sporting blockbusters, but on Take Heart Australia Day people are urged to flock to the ground for a different reason.

On Monday November 30,  Take Heart Australia (THA) is aiming to break the Guinness World Record for “most people to complete CPR training in 24 hours (multiple venues)” where Australians of all ages can come along and be trained-up in high-quality CPR for FREE!

THA has a single mission: to dramatically increase the survival rate of Aussies who suffer sudden cardiac arrests. How? By getting more Aussies trained up in high-quality CPR.

To help out, not only has the entirety of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium been donated as the HQ/home base for Take Heart Australia Day, but CPR trainers and paramedic experts from established life-saving medical organisations are donating their resources to support THA’s cause at select locations around NSW (and the rest of Australia) on the same day.

While Allianz Stadium will have 1000 resuscitation mannequins laid out on the grass oval, people are also encouraged to bring along a large fluffy toy on the day to be your CPR buddy just in case that’s not enough.

Each year in Australia, around 30,000 people experience Sudden Cardiac Arrest. The shocking reality is only 9-10 per cent survive. Now, compare that figure with a city like Seattle in the US where over 60 per cent of people survive. Why is that? Because three-quarters of their population are trained in CPR.

So it’s clear Australia has a major problem: every year, up to 12,000 people of all ages are dying who really don’t have to. Aussies are great at a lot of things – like sport. But when it comes to knowing and performing CPR, the community can do a lot more to kick life-saving goals. THA plans to turn that figure right around.

Professor Paul Middleton, Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of Sydney – who first founded THA along with Suzanne Davies, Head of Paramedicine at the University of Tasmania, and paramedic specialist Janelle White – is adamant that we can all turn the tide. “Administering high-quality CPR early can double or triple the chance of survival,” he says. “The good news? Anyone can do it.”

“That’s why we’re bringing experts from healthcare, academia, community, government and the private sector together to create an Australia where everyday people are trained and confident in providing CPR the moment someone’s heart stops. Just like in Seattle, our goal is to make surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest the norm rather than the exception.”

AFL NSW/ACT Partnerships Manager Joseph La Posta praised the work being undertaked and urged the local community to get bhind the event.

‘The work of Professor Middleton and his team at Take Heart Australia to highlight the importance training everyday Australians in high-quality CPR cannot be underestimated and will save lives,” said Mr La Posta.

“AFL NSW/ACT encourages all our community clubs or leagues to get involved and support Take Heart Australia Day on November 30 at Allianz Stadium as we aim to break the Guinness World Record for most people to complete CPR training in 24 hours (multiple venues).

MONDAY NOVEMBER 30 – Take Heart Australia Day

• To register to be trained up high-quality CPR for free, visit takeheartaustralia.org/signup/
• Sydney’s ALLIANZ STADIUM is HQ, and will be operating CPR training from 8:30am – you can select to show up in the morning or the afternoon
• Bring a LARGE FLUFFY TOY with you – the bigger the better!
• IMPORTANT: If you’d like to help host or plan a Take Heart Australia Day event in your local area on MONDAY NOVEMBER 30, please get in touch – whether it’s your local school, sports club, park, participating business location or empty town hall somewhere, we want to hear from you!
• Spread the word… 12,000 Australian lives this year are counting on it.