PITTSBURGH, PA--Susan Koeppen, KDKA TV (CBS) news anchor and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation National Spokesperson, ran 6.5 miles as part of a relay team at the Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday. She and fellow survivor, Bruce Benda, ran on behalf of an American Heart Association team.
This was Susan’s third time running the relay since surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in November 2011.
“I get tears in my eyes every time I participate in the marathon," she said. "It reminds me how lucky I am to be alive. I love seeing the crowds cheer me on, whether they know who I am or not. It feels good to feel alive.”
Susan ran the fourth leg of the marathon. Next year she plans to run the fifth leg. After that she will have successfully completed each leg of the marathon.
“We are honored that Susan Koeppen serves as our National Spokesperson,” said Mary Newman, SCA Foundation president. “She is an inspiration to sudden cardiac arrest survivors everywhere who embrace their renewed lives with positive spirits and powerful goals for the future.”