A super-fit father of two has died from a heart attack just minutes after finishing a gym workout. Paul Burbery, 53, collapsed at Total Fitness in Whitefield despite leading an active lifestyle that included cycling everywhere, competing in Strong Man competitions, and training four times a week with a personal trainer.
Mr Burbery, a psychotherapist at Prestwich Hospital, had undergone an ECG test weeks before his death due to a family history of heart problems. The test returned normal, but after his death his family learned he suffered from cardiomyopathy, a hereditary condition that affects the heart's rhythm and only appears on an MRI scan.
Gym staff immediately tried to revive him when he collapsed, but he could not be saved. In tribute, a team of staff members cycled 140 miles from Whitefield to Hereford, raising £1,600 for the North West Air Ambulance, a charity that previously saved the life of Mr Burbery's brother Peter after a motorbike accident.
Mr Burbery leaves his wife Julie, 46, a psychiatric nurse, and their daughters Jennifer, 21, and Lottie, 15. Mrs Burbery described him as her 'soul mate, a big man with a big heart'. His sister-in-law Helen Roberts said: 'He was the one person you never thought this could happen to... it's so sad he had this undiagnosed heart problem and had even been tested.'
More than 500 mourners attended his funeral in May. The gym team involved in the charity ride included Adam Cummins, David Perry, Lauren Maxwell, Nathan Taylor, and Shaun Herr.
